In the first half of Rangers’ match against Hibernian for the Viaplay Cup, Philippe Clement lost another man to injury.
Due to an injury, Dujon Sterling hobbled off and will most likely miss the pivotal second leg of the Europa League last-16 match against Benfica.
That is a severe setback for Clement, who since replacing Michael Beale in the Ibrox dugout has seen a number of players go on the injured list.
Many of those setbacks were unavoidable, but this specific occurrence was undoubtedly one that might have been avoided.
Despite the fact that the Hibernian quarterfinal was scheduled three days after the Benfica first leg, Clement picked an identical starting lineup for the match.
In that match in Portugal, the Gers players gave it their all; Sterling played 77 minutes and did find the net.
At Estadio da Luz, Sterling was seen sporting an ice pack on his hamstring. Coincidentally, it was this same injury that sidelined him against Hibs.
While Ross McCausland was available and Rabbi Matondo was back in the team at Easter Road, Rangers are not really gifted with a lot of choices.
Of course, this matchup with the Hibs is huge, but so is every other game played until the end of the season.
Rotation is obviously crucial, and Clement has regrettably had to live with this choice.
It was inappropriate for Clement to put Sterling in danger so soon after he suffered a knock, even if the medical personnel certified that he was fit for action.
Rangers can manage without the wide player in the second half of their match against Hibs, but let’s hope he won’t now be sidelined for an extended amount of time during such an important time in the season.
