Alan Hutton has been frustrated with the double injury blow suffered by Steven Gerrard not being able to call on the services of Kemar Roofe and Joe Aribo in recent games.
Speaking to Football Insider, the former Ger feels that both players offer a creativity that few in the Rangers squad possess and that – despite a relatively successful start to the season – their loss has been sorely felt.
So what has Hutton said?
When asked to reflect on the news that Roofe could be missing in the “short-term” as Gerrard put it, he said:
“I just think he came in, he looked fit and he was getting sharper and his link-up play is so good, so intelligent, he sees things that other people don’t – that’s the difference between him and Morelos.
“Morelos is a total goal scorer, a fox-in-the-box, wants to score where I think Roofe gives you that little extra, that different dimension to their attacking play.
“They’ve missed him, when it’s a case of trying to open up a defence he’s got that little trick or little brilliance that Joe Aribo has so to be missing both of them, they can find it hard to break teams down.”
So is Hutton correct?
Absolutely, the frustrating thing is, Roofe was just starting to look like he was getting close to match fitness only to come off against Lincoln Red Imps with a tight calf, the player, management and medical staff all thought that it was just a precaution but a scan has revealed that further treatment is required.
Have Rangers missed Roofe and Aribo?
Yes
No
In what can be taken as a sign of good news is that he has been named in Gerrard’s Europa League squad for the trip to the Netherlands to play Willem II, whether or not he is actually fit enough to make the bench hasn’t been established yet, but at least it looks like he won’t be out for any significant duration.
Joe Aribo had started pre-season and domestic football on fire and had been in inspired form, if the gaffer can add further creativity to the engine room and get the Nigerian international fit, alongside Roofe, Rangers fans are in for a treat.