Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has confirmed that assistant manager Gary McAllister will be a notable absence from the dugout against Celtic this weekend after the senior figure was attacked in Leeds.
Gerrard’s right hand man needed medical attention after being assaulted over the international break, which had seen the former Leeds midfielder visit his old stomping ground of a city.
With the Ibrox outfit returning to domestic action with a derby clash, Gerrard revealed he had made the executive decision to keep him out the dugout for the clash against the Hoops.
He told the Daily Mail: “It’s a shame, he is not going to be with us at the weekend. I took the decision out of Gary’s hands. It’s a shame what happened.
“He is recovering well, but I think it’s better that he rests and recovers and gets himself 100 per cent right, and we get Gary McAllister back when he can be the real Gary McAllister. But it’s a shame, I wish he was going to be with us.”
Opinion
You know that every single player at both Rangers and Celtic wants to be involved in a Glasgow derby, but you never think about the backroom staff not being able to take part. It seems as though McAllister was keen to take his usual place alongside Gerrard on the bench this weekend but the manager has overruled him and perhaps that is for the best. We have unfortunately seen a number of unsavoury incidents of late, most notably the fan attacking Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish in a derby versus Birmingham City and considering the vitriol between Rangers and Celtic, keeping McAllister out of the firing line is the safest thing to do. His health and safety comes first and if he is not feeling 100 per cent then a derby day is not the place for him. You can be sure he will be cheering the Light Blues on from wherever he is watching and perhaps his absence will give the players a little more incentive to try and beat the Hoops for the second time this season.