Rangers boss Graeme Murty has provided key updates on the fitness of long-term absentees Graham Dorrans, Lee Wallace and Jak Alnwick.
Star midfielder Dorrans has been out with an ankle injury since Pedro Caixinha’s final game in charge, a 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock on the 25th of October.
The former West Bromwich Albion and Norwich star has undergone surgery on the complaint, and is expected to miss another few months of action.
Club captain Wallace has been absent with a serious groin injury since late September, and has been inching closer to a first-team return in recent weeks.
Second-choice goalkeeper Alnwick has missed most of December with an unknown complaint, and has been replaced on the bench by number three Liam Kelly.
Murty has now revealed that Dorrans is progressing well after surgery, and is now out of his cast and moving onto simple rehabilitation exercises.
Wallace, who has been very close to first-team action, was ruled out of the Celtic clash by Murty, but his long-awaited return is likely to come soon enough.
And Alnwick was also revealed to be progressing well by Murty.
Murty’s updates were quoted on Twitter by the club’s official account:
?? #MURTY Dorrans is out of his cast, moving to exercises and still has time out. Wallace not available. Alnwick progressing well.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) December 28, 2017
OPINION
The seemingly imminent return of Wallace will be a big boost for the Light Blues, but in all honesty the skipper is in a real fight for his left-back berth with Declan John. Cardiff loanee John, who has recently made his deal permanent, has been an absolute star for the Gers this season. Dorrans has been a big loss in midfield for Rangers since his injury, having bagged five goals from that position early in the season. The Scotland international’s big-game experience is crucial, and his return cannot come soon enough. Alnwick, in all honesty, is relatively insignificant in comparison to the other two absentees.