Rangers are heading into their most hectic period of the season with a depleted squad, making Danny Röhl’s already difficult task even more daunting.
During the international break, first-choice centre-back duo John Souttar and Derek Cornelius both suffered long-term injuries, while Mikey Moore and Youssef Chermiti also missed Saturday’s narrow 2-1 victory over Livingston.
On Thursday night, the Gers will welcome Braga to Ibrox in the Europa League, very much in need of a victory, considering they sit rock bottom of the gigantic table, without a point to their name.
Given all the injury issues, which “colossus” will be starting this pivotal European tie, hoping to replicate a recent Rangers legend?
Connor Goldson's Rangers career
Plenty of figures have been key to the success Rangers have enjoyed in the last decade.
Steven Gerrard delivered the only Premiership title since 2011, Giovanni van Bronckhorst led the Gers to the Europa League Final while, in terms of players, captain James Tavernier as well as Connor Goldson were central figures for many seasons.
When the then-26-year-old defender arrived in 2018, he was not very well-known and had hardly any top-level experience.
Goldson’s time at Brighton & Hove Albion was derailed by a heart defect detected during a routine screening, requiring preventative surgery, eliciting fears that he may never play again, thereby making just three Premier League appearances for the Seagulls.
Nevertheless, after making the move north of the border, he would become a rock at the heart of the Light Blues’ defence, representing the club 309 times, winning all three domestic trophies.
The centre-back scored plenty of crucial goals, bagging both during a 2-0 victory at Celtic Park towards the start of the title-winning campaign, before departing to join Aris Limassol in the summer of 2024.
Given that Wes Foderingham, Leon Balogun and Ross McCausland also now ply their trade at the Alphamega Stadium, whoever is Aris Limassol’s head of recruitment must enjoy watching Rangers season review DVDs.
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Fast-forward to the present day, Rangers have not had a dominant, reliable centre-half since Goldson’s move to Cyprus, but could that be about to change?
Rangers' new Connor Goldson
With Souttar and Cornelius sidelined until Christmas at least, this has presented opportunities for others, with forgotten man Emmanuel Fernandez at the front of the queue.
On Saturday, the man who joined from Peterborough United in the summer for a reported fee of £3.5m started for the first time since August, marking the occasion by breaking the deadlock inside nine minutes; his towering header did not give Livingston goalkeeper Jérôme Prior a chance.
Overall, Fernandez’s statistics at the weekend made for impressive reading.
Goals
1
1st
Accurate passes
80
2nd
Passing accuracy %
90%
3rd
Defensive actions
15
1st
Clearances
10
2nd
Blocks
2
1st
Interceptions
2
3rd
Duels contested
14
3rd
Duels won
9
1st
Aerial duels won
7
1st
Touches
110
3rd
SofaScore rating
8.3
1st
As the table documents, Fernandez put in a dominant display against Livingston, ranked first for defensive actions, blocks, duels won and aerial duels won, while only Nicolas Raskin completed more passes.
As already alluded to, this was just the centre-back’s third start for the club, scoring on debut against Alloa and then in the lineup at St Mirren the following weekend, but he had seen just a solitary minute of action since 24 August beforehand.
Nevertheless, he certainly staked a claim for more involvement in Röhl’s team and, well, considering the scarcity of alternatives, the German coach does not have much choice.
The Englishman was certainly popular at his former club, with Peterborough Chairman Darragh MacAnthony labelling him a “colossus” and a “gentle giant”, also adding that he is a “great organiser and talker”.
Like Goldson, the majority of Fernandez’s experience prior to arriving at Rangers has come in the EFL, even representing non-league clubs Sheppey United, Margate and Spalding United.
Thus, joining the Glasgow giants is the 24-year-old’s massive move, now looking to take a gigantic step forward in his career – just as Goldson did before him.
So, after seeing very limited opportunities up until this point, he will be thrust into the limelight, poised to make his European debut when Braga visit Govan on Thursday night.
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ByBen Gray