Rangers winger Ryan Kent will miss the club’s next two matches, Steven Gerrard has revealed.
Speaking at his media conference on Wednesday, as quoted by the official Gers Twitter account, the Ibrox manager explained that Kent will not return to training until next week.
The on-loan Liverpool winger, 22, has been sidelined since the win over St Mirren on 3 November and will now miss Thursday’s Europa League showdown against Villarreal as well as Sunday’s SPL clash against Hearts.
??SG: Slightly too soon for Borna Barisic tomorrow, with him having missed a month of football it is just too soon. Ryan Kent should be back in full training after the weekend.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) November 28, 2018
OPINION
Losing Kent for the two massive matches Rangers play over the next few days is a major blow. The team coped well without the left winger in Saturday’s 3-0 win against Livingston, when Glenn Middleton took his place in the starting XI. But how Gerrard would love to be able to call upon Kent for the mouthwatering clash against the Spaniards at Ibrox, as well as Sunday’s top-of-the-table tussle against Hearts at Tynecastle. The Liverpool youngster was emerging as one of the team’s most consistent and effective performers before breaking down with a hamstring problem at the start of the month. Rangers do have other attacking options, but Kent would surely be on the teamsheet against Villarreal were he fit and available. It appears the wide man is also struggling to be fit for the Aberdeen fixture on Wednesday of next week as he does not return to full training until after the weekend. Gerrard now has a big decision on whether to start Middleton on the left flank for the match that is pivotal to the Light Blues’ hopes of making the Europa League knockout stage.