Rangers secured a resounding victory at Easter Road against Hibs, narrowing the gap on Celtic to five points with a game in hand and two crucial Old Firm matches on the horizon. However, the win came at a cost, as key players Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin were forced to withdraw at halftime, adding to the injury woes that already include Abdallah Sima, Danilo, and Kieran Dowell.
In the midst of a challenging run of fixtures that could significantly impact the Premiership title race, the last thing Rangers needed was more players joining the long-term injured list. Fortunately for Gers fans, manager Philippe Clement offered optimistic news on the conditions of Cantwell and Raskin.
“It’s too fast to assess that, but it looks okay for the moment and I hope tomorrow also. After that, he made a really good goal, but I didn’t want to take a risk with those things,” Clement stated when asked about goal hero Cantwell.
Concerning Raskin, Clement explained, “Same with Nico. His foot was sleeping. We thought it was because of the tape. We took the tape out and he had the same sensations. He cannot play on one foot. That’s why we made the changes.”
Despite the setbacks, substitutes Dujon Sterling and Tom Lawrence made a significant impact in the second half. Clement emphasized the importance of squad depth, stating, “And the two players who came in had directly an impact on the game, and that needs to be our strength in the next couple of months.”
Clement praised the overall team effort, highlighting the resilience of the squad in the face of injuries, “All the guys who came in had a good impact on the game, so that has been our strength in the last couple of months that whoever is playing in whatever position, they know what to do, do everything for the team, and work hard together.”