Blow for Rangers as Connor Barron and Dujon Sterling ruled out with injuries

Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has revealed that his squad has been hit by injuries to Connor Barron and Dujon Sterling.

Both players featured in Tuesday’s win over Aberdeen that moved the team up to second in the Premiership. Barron started the game and laid on the first goal for Emmanuel Fernandez, while Sterling was a second-half substitute for John Souttar.

Rohl said Sterling is going to miss the next couple of matches but there’s more serious news for Barron, who has a knee ligament injury.

The Scotland international won’t require surgery but is expected to be out for around two to three months.

“We won the game on Tuesday, but we lost two players,” Rohl said. “For Dujon it looks not so bad.

“I think he could be available in two to three weeks. I think it’s okay. We have the cup game, then we have the Europa League game, and then after that maybe he’s back.

“Connor is a big loss. I think he will be out around eight to 12 weeks. We speak about March, April at the minute.”

The German’s time at Ibrox so far has seen him contending with a number of injuries that have deprived him of players and he admitted it was frustrating.

“Yeah, this is football,” he said. “It’s a little bit like since I’m here, a neverending story.

“Obviously, when you have a team together and you try to grow and give them confidence, and you can make the same starting 11, then you have new injuries.

“But I think in the last couple of weeks we did well. We found a solution, and this is again for Sunday what we have to do.”

Talking about the blow of losing Barron at a time when the team is gaining momentum in the title race, he said: “I think it’s not just the player. I think also the relationship with Nico (Raskin) was very special.

“When you look at the pitch, it was very fluid. They helped each other on the pitch. Then in the last two games, you saw as well with Theo (Aasgaard), the midfield three was very strong.

“They dictated the rhythm, they won a lot of balls. This is what we of course miss, but it’s time then for maybe other players to step in and take responsibility.”

Rangers are closing in on the signing of Sturm Graz midfielder Tochi Chukwuani and Westerlo left-back Tuur Rommens and while Rohl didn’t name either with the transfers not completed, he said he would have a decision to make on whether to put imminent arrivals straight into the team.

“Hopefully, yes [there will be new signings],” he said. “But of course, then it’s a big decision.

“Maybe the new signings, they didn’t train so much with the group.

“You have to make sure they are ready and give them also the right opportunity to show what they can do.

“It’s been a big decision for me in the next 24 hours when they arrive.”