Not everything is a conspiracy.
Jon McLaughlin wasn’t dropped against Napoli, he was injured, that he hasn’t been in full training since last Thursday probably indicates that and Ben Davies and Ridvan Yilmaz aren’t kicking their heels on the bench because Giovanni van Bronckhorst isn’t happy with the recruitment in the summer transfer window.
Taking Ridvan first, Borna Barisic was outstanding against Napoli and he was one of only a few, if not the only, player to emerge with any credit against Ajax and Celtic, the young Turkey international will get his chance but he has to be patient as he competes with an in form and experienced team-mate.
As for Davies, it’s a bit more complicated in that he has been injured and unable to get any minutes to get match fitness back, I thought he might have been risked against Napoli, however, Gio confirmed why he hasn’t been seen, as reported by The Rangers Review:
“No, because he’s been injured.”
When asked why he wasn’t featuring.
“He’s just back in training. I put players in who I think are ready to play and that’s why I put Leon (King) in first. He’s developing really well and played really well in the second half against Ajax and that’s why I put him in and Ben didn’t start.”
Somehow, we’ve managed to turn a positive – Leon King being trusted and performing well – into a negative, with Davies’s absence. Gio has had rotten luck with the summer acquisitions in that previously fit players without any real injury history have been unavailable – John Souttar being the obvious exception.
Davies, especially with Sands being suspended now, will surely start against Dundee United at Ibrox at the weekend, he will be needed for the double-header against Liverpool and has first-hand experience of facing them in training which could be invaluable if we are to have any hope of getting off the mark.