Steven Gerrard has had to deal with a few casualties in midfield this season and faces having to make do without two of his most trusted lieutenants in Saturday’s second Old Firm derby.
Ryan Jack and Scott Arfield are set to miss out and, speaking to Football Insider, former Aberdeen forward, Noel Whelan, believes that it would be a huge blow to the Rangers gaffer.
So what has Whelan said?
When asked about the news that Jack hasn’t fully recovered from the persistent knee injury that has affected his season, he said:
“It is going to be a massive blow if he is not ready for the Old Firm game,”
“He is a player that can have a big influence on the game. We all know the quality he possesses. He is tenacious and he creates. You are always going to miss a big player like that.
“He is a player who knows what the Old Firm is all about, who has that experience and can handle the pressure. This game is a different atmosphere all together. It is a different kind of pressure.
“Steven Gerrard will be hoping he is alright but it is still Rangers to lose.”
So is Whelan correct?
Jack is a key figure for Gerrard and he has never been shy in professing his almost undying love for him and plays in every big game that he is available for.
Who is the bigger loss?
Scott Arfield
Ryan Jack
His ability to win the ball high up the park and protect the back four is a huge asset, particularly when it comes to covering the two marauding full-backs, he seems to be able to do this almost on his own.
He is no longer just a water carrier in midfield and it’s no coincidence that we haven’t been at our best in his absence, hopefully the latest flare up is just a minor setback rather than a relapse that will see him miss key fixtures over the coming weeks, to lose him for the Old Firm would be bad enough, to lose him for a period of weeks would be, as Whelan rightly says, a “massive blow”.