Philippe Clement subtly criticized Michael Beale’s tenure, pointing to the lack of proper summer preparation as a key reason behind ongoing injury woes in the squad.
The Ibrox outfit has faced numerous challenges this season, with players such as Abdallah Sima, Danilo, and Todd Cantwell succumbing to injuries in recent months. Despite the triumph at Easter Road, the joy was marred by the sidelining of Ross McCausland and Benfica goal hero Dujon Sterling during the match.
Expressing his frustration, Clement remarked, “We can only give our best and give everything with the squad that’s available. All the boys are working hard to be fit for all the games.” He went on to subtly point fingers at the inadequate preparations under Beale’s guidance, stating, “Maybe they missed a lot of things in the preparations for this season. I think that’s really clear for everybody, so we need to make a big preparation next year [so that] we’re not in this situation anymore.”
Despite securing a spot in the Scottish Cup semi-finals with the win over Hibs, Rangers face another crucial knockout challenge in the Europa League last 16 against Benfica this week.
Clement expressed his hopes for a quick recovery of McCausland and Sterling ahead of the crucial European clash, saying, “It’s a massive game against a very good opponent, so I hope that with Ross and Dujon, we can recover them for Thursday.” However, he acknowledged the need for alternative solutions if the players are unavailable, adding, “Otherwise, I will need to be very creative. I think I’ve been very creative already in the last couple of weeks and months. Then we will need to have a look for other solutions.”
As Rangers navigate through the challenges, the spotlight remains on the team’s resilience and their manager’s strategic decisions in the upcoming Europa League fixture.