Rangers could be without Kent for four weeks after hamstring injury

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard believes he will be without Ryan Kent for up to four weeks after the attacker suffered a hamstring injury.

The former Liverpool player had to be substituted during Thursday’s Europa League defeat to Lyon and will undergo a scan on the injury.

Gerrard said that the club medical staff expect an absence of several weeks, that would see Kent miss key games.

In the next four weeks Rangers have four Premiership fixtures, a League Cup quarter-final and a Europa League group stage game away at Sparta Prague.

“We certainly have a problem with Ryan Kent,” Gerrard said. “He will be sent for a scan probably late afternoon or early evening but he is obviously going to be out for the weekend.

“If the doctor’s prediction is right he could miss a few weeks but we will know more this evening.

“Ryan had a rest in the international break, he trained well during the week. I don’t think he has been carrying any problem that got worse, this is just an isolated incident.

“You could see clearly that he pulled up with something, hopefully it is not as bad as it looked.

“The good thing is, if it is a hamstring injury, that might be three to four weeks which they normally are, we have an international break in that period to try and get him ready but I think he will definitely be missing for a few weeks if the doctor’s prediction is right.

“We also have Alfredo Morelos with a bit of a tight hamstring, not on Ryan Kent’s level but we might send him for a picture as well just to be sure on that one. So Alfredo is a doubt as well.”

Gerrard has said after the Lyon match that the Premiership champions had yet to hit “top gear” and he believes that is partly down to injury and other issues meaning that consistency has been a problem.

“I haven’t had everyone fit and available and in top form,” he said. “That’s a manager’s perfect scenario.

“But for different reasons, and these are not excuses, I don’t feel like I’ve had a settled squad with everyone in a good place and available so we can really pick our strongest team, try and get some rhythm and repeat teams.

“It seems like with injuries, Covid, suspensions and people arriving late we’ve found it really difficult.

“But it is what it is and hopefully in due course we can get a really settled team and people fit and available.

“Looking like Ryan is going to be out for a few weeks is another frustration for us.”

Rangers now prepare to face Motherwell on Sunday in what is a busy spell for the Light Blues, and Gerrard said his players had to put Thursday’s defeat behind them and move on to the next challenge.

He said.: “It is a case of picking the boys up and getting them recovered because the Motherwell game comes on us pretty quickly.

“We will see who is available, train the boys who weren’t involved and then tomorrow we will go tactically into the Motherwell game.

“So it happens pretty quick, the games come thick and fast, I think it is three games in six days so we have no time to dwell, we have to move on pretty fast.”