Alan Hutton has now revealed some ‘positive’ Glasgow Rangers injury news regarding John Lundstram.
The Lowdown: Groin niggle for Lundstram
Speaking to Sky Sports after their recent 4-0 win away to St Mirren in the Premiership, Giovanni van Bronckhorst confirmed that the 28-year-old picked up a groin niggle during the game but is ‘hopeful’ that he will be fit for their Europa League quarter-final second leg at home to Braga on Thursday night.
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Forced off after just 26 minutes on Sunday, Lundstram had played in the Gers’ last eight matches in the league, showing how much faith Van Bronckhorst has in him.
The Latest: Hutton reacts
Speaking to Football Insider, former Teddy Bears right-back and Rangers TV pundit Hutton has revealed that he ‘saw’ Lundstram walking out of the stadium to the team bus over the weekend, and ‘looked normal’, suggesting that he should now be okay to face Braga.
The 37-year-old outlined: “It depends on how serious it is. They seemed quite positive after the game, the way they were talking about it.
“I saw him walking out of the stadium to the team bus, he wasn’t limping. He didn’t look like he was stiff or anything, he just looked normal, which is a good sign.
“I think if there is a slight doubt, you would probably want to protect him on Thursday. That being a home game, you want a lot of attacking flair on the pitch.
“You could maybe get away with resting him and bringing him back in for for the big game at the weekend. You’re going to need his defensive qualities as well as his ball retention.”
The Verdict: Big boost for Rangers
The fact that Lundstram seems fine is certainly a big boost ahead of Rangers’ Europa League tie.
The former Sheffield United ace ranked as the Light Blues’ joint-best player in the first leg, as he won all three of his duels and managed one successful dribble, one clearance, two tackles and one key pass, while also making a team-high three interceptions and five accurate long balls (SofaScore).
The 28-year-old is clearly a key player for Van Bronckhorst, so the Dutchman will no doubt want to have him available for the return leg.
In other news, one man is now almost certain to leave the Gers in the summer