The “Rangers 5” have finally found out their fate after the SFA’s disciplinary committee released the findings of their investigation into a Covid-19 protocol breach.
Bongani Zungu, Calvin Bassey, Nathan Patterson, Dapo Mebude and Brian Kinnear have all been suspended for six games – four immediate and two suspended, as reported by Sky Sports.
The games that the players will miss are detailed by Vital Rangers own Graeme Hanna, Mebude and Kinnear currently both out on loan:
Following the six game ban ruling this afternoon, the Rangers players affected will miss the following games:
Cove Rangers – H – April 4
Hibs – H – April 11
SC 4th Round? – April 17/18
St Johnstone – A – April 21— Graeme Hanna (@graeme818) March 30, 2021
The biggest single factor to come out of this is that Nathan Patterson and Bongani Zungu will both, potentially, get the chance to redeem themselves but for different reasons.
Patterson has impressed deputising for James Tavernier and with a run of games there is no reason why he couldn’t stake a claim for a place in the Scotland squad for the European Championships, Steve Clarke spoke about having to be patient – a decision backed by Steven Gerrard – but if other players are injured or are out of form, he has to be considered.
For Zungu – if he is given the chance – he is fast running out of time to convince the Gers gaffer that he is worthy of having his stay at Rangers extended, but there could be as many as five games in which he is available to make an impression.
Rangers have yet to decide whether or not to appeal the decision with few actually aware of the details of the original incident, there are mitigating circumstances since George Edmundson and Jordan Jones were handed their seven game bans – a trip to Dubai that went unpunished and a visit from a girlfriend who didn’t self isolate just for starters.