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“Serious concussion”- Philippe Clement Reveals Injury Fears for Rangers Trio and ‘Dangerous’ Vaclav Cerny Situation
Rangers’ successful progression through the first phase of the Europa League, coupled with their ability to close the gap at the top of the Premiership table, highlights the remarkable versatility of Philippe Clement’s squad.
With a defensive injury crisis forcing players into unfamiliar roles, Rangers have demonstrated adaptability at Ibrox. q
Ridvan Yilmaz has filled in at right-back, performing admirably in the position, while James Tavernier impressed Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand when he took on an unexpected center-half role during a tough contest against the Red Devils.
In their 2-1 win over Union Saint-Gilloise, which secured a top-eight finish ahead of Bodo/Glimt, it was winger Ross McCausland’s turn to show his versatility.
After Leon King’s injury forced him off, McCausland, typically a winger, stepped in at right-back, allowing Tavernier to shift to the center of defense.
Clement described King’s injury as a “serious concussion,” but fortunately, he was the only player to be forced off during a match in which John Souttar made his long-awaited return to action after a six-week absence.
With Rangers leading 2-0 before the hour mark, Clement was able to rest key players such as Hamza Igamane, Nedim Bajrami, and Vaclav Cerny—three players who had logged the most minutes during a demanding festive schedule and were at risk of injury.
Cerny, who had been sidelined with a hamstring issue before the Dundee United game, converted a brilliant assist from Cyriel Dessers to take his tally to 13 goals.
After noticing Cerny stretching his muscles, Clement opted to take him off as a precaution, given the risk of further injury.
“We had to make some changes,” Clement explained. “Vaclav had problems with his hamstring last week, and it’s dangerous to take risks with those kinds of things. Also, Nedim and Hamza were getting tired, so we threw the young boys in. It was also a big experience for them.”
Following his assist at Tannadice, Zak Lovelace came off the bench for a few minutes, while fellow 18-year-old Paul Nsio made his European debut in place of Bajrami.
Despite missing several key players—Souttar, Tavernier, Dujon Sterling, Tom Lawrence, and Neraysho Kasanwirjo—Clement has managed to make the most of a challenging injury crisis. “Out of adversity comes opportunity,” he said, noting how McCausland, Yilmaz, and Tavernier seized their chances in new roles, and how Lovelace and Nsio had their moments due to the team’s demanding schedule.
Clement praised the squad’s collective effort, saying, “It’s a massive achievement for the whole squad.
It’s not just about the starting 11 or 14 or 15 players—it’s about the entire squad being involved. Everybody dug in, did the job, and did it brilliantly.”
Rangers’ top-eight finish in the Europa League is particularly impressive, as they earned more points than big clubs like Ajax, Roma, Real Sociedad, Porto, and Galatasaray.
Clement also highlighted the difficulty of the group stage, which saw Rangers face heavyweights like Manchester United, Tottenham, Olympiakos, and Lyon.
“It’s not just about being in the top eight,” he remarked. “If you look at all the teams that finished behind us, they’re massive clubs with huge budgets. Plus, we played against four of the other seven teams in the top eight, which makes the achievement even bigger.”
