Rangers defender Leon Balogun reveals cheekbone fracture but expects quick return

Rangers defender Leon Balogun has revealed he suffered a fractured cheekbone during his side’s defeat to Athletic in Bilbao, but doesn’t expect to be sidelined for long.

The centre-back was forced off after a collision early in the second half and was seen kicking the post and punching the ground in frustration at not being able to play on.

He had to watch from the sidelines as his team’s Europa League journey ended with a 2-0 quarter-final defeat.

“I’ve fractured my cheekbone again,” Balogun said after the match. “So it’s the fourth time, I think, in my career.

“I knew it straight away, and I knew that I had to come off with it. I said, ‘Look, if there’s any chance for me to stay on…’ but then the pain normally kicks in like five or ten minutes after, and then it’s no.”

Rangers only have five post-slit fixtures left to play this season but the Nigerian international doesn’t think his season is over.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “We will see how severe but it will probably need a small little surgery, then a few days rest and I can go back on with the mask.”

Reflecting on the game that ended his side’s hopes of silverware this season, the defender said his side didn’t show enough to trouble a confident Athletic side.

He said: “I think you have to be honest and I don’t think we showed enough quality today in order to severely threaten them.

“We all came here with a lot more expectation, probably to ourselves. We did not really live up to it.

“The effort was there but, and I know this is not what the supporters and the people back home want to hear, sometimes you have to hold your hands up and I think Bilbao showed that they had a better team today.

“I think the better team won and that’s only honest. We were hoping for probably a lucky punch.

“Of course, I think we do have the quality to threaten that team, to come out with a close result or maybe even even a win but we did not.

“We were not able to show that tonight.”