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STEVEN GERRARD has ruled Ryan Jack out of the Boxing Day showdown with Hibernian as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
Jack has not appeared for the Rangers since their win over Aberdeen at Ibrox last month and was expected to be in a position to face Hibs this weekend after missing out on St Johnstone in the middle of the week.
The 28-year-old has become one of Gerrard’s most reliable and consistent players in the past two seasons and has been notable for his absence in recent weeks.
But he will not be available for a visit from Jack Ross’ side as the Rangers continue to carefully monitor his progress after he stepped up his recovery program earlier in the week.
“Unfortunately no, no,” Gerrard said when asked if Jack would be available for the Hibernian game. “It’s taken a bit longer than we think, so that’s unclear at this point. I really don’t want to rush into not being available for the next one.”
The news that Jack will be in no shape to face Hibs is certainly a blow to boss Gerrard as the Rangers look to maintain their momentum in the title race ahead of games with St Mirren and Celtic that will end the year. .
However, there was a more positive development for the Rangers in Perth, as defender Leon Balogun returned to the team following the blow to the head he suffered in a Betfred Cup loss to the Buddies last week.
Balogun missed the home win to Motherwell on Saturday, but is now available once again after taking a bench spot at McDiarmid Park when Connor Goldson and Filip Helander helped the Rangers end their three-game streak without a sheet. clean.
Gerrard said: “Leon is fine. He could have come Wednesday night and has gone through all the protocols in terms of getting hit on the head. He’s ready to go.”
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