Borna Barisic has endured a frustrating summer, injury preventing him from making an impact at the European Championships before returning to Rangers struggling for fitness.
What didn’t help his cause is that Calvin Bassey has been the polar opposite since the season kicked off; energetic, confident and showing improvements in the attacking third that previously put his senior team-mate in front of him in the pecking order – the Croatian international faced a genuine fight to get his place back until Covid-19 halted the youngster’s progress.
One thing Barisic can be relied upon though is to be dependable in an Old Firm and, again, he was solid defensively in the Gers 1-0 win, there was also a noticeable improvement in his set-piece delivery even if he was still a little rusty from open play attacking situations.
A certain LB the best player on the pitch 🚬 pic.twitter.com/E4cJK9swV6
— Pena_Cartel (@Pena_Cartel) September 8, 2021
The international break can be a nuisance but for Barisic it has allowed him extra game time to rediscover his form, and that is exactly what he has done after being the highest rated player in his country’s 3-0 win over Slovenia much to the delight of Gers fans everywhere.
Sounds like he’s back 😍
— Jock Spiers (@StSpiersy) September 8, 2021
He’s back.
— Willy (@wmwscgbm87) September 8, 2021
Hopefully that’s him getting over his back injury and back to his form from last season.
— Barry Grant (@bazzag01) September 8, 2021
Class but expected
— Barry Mallon (@trickymcfingaz) September 8, 2021
1 corner vs that lot and BOOOOOMMMM BornaBear is back
— Iain MacDougall (@imacdougall8) September 8, 2021
BORN(A)GAIN.
— Big Pablo🏜 (@swiss_stevie) September 8, 2021
Barisic is very much a player that needs to be fully fit to see the best of him, during his first season you could see flashes of what he was capable of but could never get a run of games together, it’s no coincidence that when he has been available week-in, week-out he has been one of our most productive players.
Bassey is a great player to have coming through as an understudy but he’s not quite on the Croatian international’s level, not yet anyway.