Rangers Face Injury Crisis as McInnes Seeks Striker and Defensive Reinforcements
Derek McInnes admits Rangers are “playing with fire” at the back and scrambling for a new centre-forward after Youssef Chermiti’s season was shattered by a serious knee injury.
The 22-year-old striker suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Saturday’s defeat by Hibernian, a brutal twist coming just days after the club had knocked back a sizeable bid for the Portugal Under-21 international, with Galatasaray among those linked.
Now the plan for the campaign has been ripped up.
Chermiti blow forces transfer rethink
Chermiti will see a specialist in London, with surgery expected as early as next week. His long-term absence has forced Rangers to rip into their transfer strategy in the middle of a crucial European week.
“Obviously, really disappointing for ourselves,” McInnes said, underlining just how central Chermiti was to his blueprint. The manager made no attempt to hide how big a piece of his attacking puzzle had just been removed.
“Selfishly, he's a big part of what we wanted to do this season and he's obviously a talented boy,” he added. For the player, so early in his career, the setback cuts even deeper. “For Youssef himself, obviously he's very young. It'll be difficult for him to accept and understand what's happened to him.”
The only consolation, McInnes admitted, is timing. The injury has landed while the transfer window is still open.
“The only saving grace from our point of view as a club is the fact it's happened in a transfer window and we've got the opportunity to react to that.”
The club had already turned away a “big number” for Chermiti – McInnes insists he doesn’t know the exact figure – but that debate is now redundant. “It's neither here nor there now, to be honest. It's done.”
What isn’t done is the search for a replacement.
“We are obviously looking at maybe strengthening that area of the pitch,” McInnes said. “We're trying to be quite proactive with that and seeing what is available. Number nines are normally the most difficult ones to get.”
Defensive worries mount
The problems don’t stop up front. At the other end of the pitch, McInnes can feel the risk building.
Left-back Tuur Rommens has joined Chermiti on the treatment table after suffering a groin injury in the same match against Hibernian. He is expected to be out for up to eight weeks.
That lay-off has exposed a structural issue McInnes had already identified.
“Strengthening defensively and in wide areas was the priority,” he said. “We don't have a left-footed defender in the building. We're keen to try and get that resolved as quickly as possible.”
The numbers at the back concern him. The language is stark.
“With the numbers we've got there, we are kind of playing with fire. Defensively, it's always been a bit of a concern. I always thought we were short of numbers there.”
He wants action, not just agreement.
“We all know what we need but acting really swiftly would help matters.”
Wingers, full-backs and a race against time
Rangers’ recruitment team now face a demanding end to the window. A striker is needed. So is a left-back. Wingers too.
“We're trying to bring wingers in,” McInnes confirmed. “It's in the hands of the recruitment team to try and get that over the line. Nothing's been finalised with anything yet.”
Brentford’s Jayden Meghoma, who impressed on loan at Ibrox last season, has been linked with a return for a second temporary spell to plug the gap at left-back. On the flanks, PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech has been heavily touted for a permanent move.
McInnes didn’t shut the door on that one.
“We've been linked with a lot of players. That one's gained a bit of momentum and we are quite far down the line with that but I don't know where it's at currently. All these things are still ongoing.”
Europe looms as squad stretched
All of this unfolds with Rangers staring at a 2-1 deficit in their Europa League third-round qualifier against Jagiellonia Bialystok, with the second leg at Ibrox on Thursday.
A patched-up defence. A key striker gone. A transfer scramble in full swing.
McInnes has no choice but to juggle it all at once – recruitment meetings, medical updates, and a European tie that could shape the club’s season and budget.
The window offers opportunity. The injuries have turned it into a necessity.
