Rangers returned to winning ways over the weekend by easing to a 2-0 victory over St Mirren at Ibrox and the result was a pleasant way to end a difficult week.
The victory keeps them eight points behind Celtic in the Premiership, but they do have a game in hand coming up and if they could secure three points then, it would narrow the gap further.
Philippe Clement remains undefeated in charge of the club, yet successive 1-1 draws against Aberdeen and Aris Limassol appeared to halt the new manager bounce and the performances were disjointed in both games.
Against the Paisley side, however, the Belgian rejigged his starting XI, and it resulted in a straightforward victory, with Todd Cantwell being utilised in his preferred attacking midfield slot.
Despite the win, it wasn’t all good news as the manager confirmed that Nico Raskin will all but miss the League Cup final against Aberdeen in two weeks due to injury.
The latest news on Nico Raskin's injury
The 22-year-old was stretchered off during the 2-1 win against Hearts at the end of October due to suffering an injury and the initial prognosis was he would be available after the international break.
Speaking to the media following the league clash on Sunday, Clement provided a fresh update on his recovery, and it isn’t good news for the Ibrox faithful.
He said: "Nico will have a new assessment next week because his rehab is not going well so I am not so happy about that but it is what it is. We have to find solutions."
The 49-year-old also said his chances of appearing against Aberdeen were “very small” and this is a blow for the Light Blues, who were hoping to return to full strength ahead of the game.
It remains to be seen whether he will play a part in any of the festive fixtures and Clement will need to adapt and utilise other players in the squad.
Nico Raskin Rangers career in numbers
The Light Blues managed to secure Raskin’s signature during the January transfer window having trailed him since the previous summer, and it looked as though he was going to be a shrewd piece of business by Michael Beale.
During his first six months, the Belgian played 16 matches for the club and despite arriving with over half the season already completed, Raskin still managed to rank third across the squad in tackles per game (1.8) while succeeding with a staggering 92% of his dribble attempts and completing 88% of his passes.
It was clear he had a bright future in the game and his embryonic spell in Glasgow certainly proved that he could emerge as a mainstay in the heart of the midfield.
So far during the 2023/24 campaign, Raskin tops the pile for tackles per game across the whole squad (2.8), while also ranking seventh for accurate passes per game (44.1) and for big chances created (two), showcasing his tenacious nature along with an impressive passing game.
His loss has been felt and while John Lundstram is a steady presence in the midfield, Clement must now try and get Ryan Jack and Jose Cifuentes up to speed as they are his likely choices of partner for the former Sheffield United midfielder.
There may be another option, however, as Tom Lawrence dropped slightly deeper against St Mirren at the weekend. Could the Welshman fill in for Raskin over the course of the next few weeks?
Tom Lawrence’s game vs St Mirren in numbers
The 29-year-old played the full 90 minutes and with every game, he is slowly returning to the type of form which led the Gers to sign him in the first place.
Lawrence was constantly looking to get involved against the Paisley side, taking 93 touches and when he had it, the midfielder made two key passes and succeeded with his only dribble attempt in what was a commanding performance.
He did lose possession 18 times, but it was only due to his inclination to get forward on a regular basis and the former Derby County star chipped in defensively too.
The midfielder managed to win 50% of his ground duels along with making four tackles during the match and his performance may have given Clement something to think about going forward.
Tom Lawrence’s statistics this season for Rangers
Having missed practically the whole of last season due to suffering an injury in August 2022, Lawrence has shown wonderful resilience to not only recover but to force his way into Clement’s plans for the future.
The £22k-per-week maestro was recently hailed as “brilliant” by Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie, and he has impressed so far this season.
The Welshman not only ranks second across the squad for big chances created in the Premiership (three), but he also ranks fourth for key passes per game (1.7), fifth for successful dribbles per game (one) and shots on target per game (0.8), showing his effectiveness in an attacking sense.
44.1
29
2
3
0.9
1
1.1
1.7
2.8
0.8
He has often been utilised in his preferred attacking midfield role, hence the impressive statistics regarding big chances created, and key passes made, but the midfielder displayed on Sunday that even by dropping slightly deeper than normal, he still has the potential to cause plenty of problems for the opposition defence.
With Jack struggling with the odd injury niggles and Cifuentes not quite hitting the ground running, there is a space alongside Lundstram for Lawrence and if he takes it, there could be selection problems for the manager when Raskin returns.
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The former Club Brugge boss will just need to be wary of Lawrence’s fitness as he hasn’t exactly played a lot of football and with a hectic fixture list coming up, managing his game time will be a key priority.
Against Hearts on Wednesday, however, Lawrence and Lundstram must be the two central midfield options that Clement goes with, as they can work in tandem to cause all sorts of problems for the Jambos.
Raskin being injured may be a blow for the Light Blues, yet in the 29-year-old, they have a more than capable replacement who has shown just how good he can be in recent weeks.
