Kranjcar’s first season with Glasgow Rangers already appears to be over.
A Croatian FA doctor and world-renowned knee specialist has issued a concerning assessment of Niko Kranjcar’s injury, having suggested that the Rangers midfielder could be on the sidelines for longer than initially feared, the Sunday Post reports.
The Sunday Post reports that the Gers had feared that they would be without the 32-year-old for around six months after he snapped a cruciate ligament in training.
Ranger’s Niko Kranjcar in action with Burnley’s Scott Arfield
However, Dr Boris Nemec has suggested that the nature of the injury may mean that those initial predictions could be somewhat optimistic.
“The conventional wisdom is that the player can play again in six months,” he said, as reported by the Sunday Post.
“However, recent studies have shown that it is better to wait another couple of months.
Rangers manager Mark Warburton
“If he were to return after just six months, there is a bigger chance the knee ligament will break again.”
In slightly more encouraging news however, Nemec is confident that, if he returns to full fitness, the playmaker should have little problem getting back to his best.
“The vast percentage of players who suffer an injury like Niko return to the same level they were at before the injury,” he added.
Burnley’s Andre Gray in action with Rangers’ Niko Kranjcar
The more positive news will please Rangers supporters as Kranjcar had appeared to have been turning a corner in the weeks leading up to the cruel blow.
The former Premier League star had been beginning to make more of an impact on games, having initially struggled following his summer switch to Ibrox.
But Nemec appears to be hopeful that if Mark Warburton gives Kranjcar enough time, he will go on to prove himself to be worthy of being considered a marquee signing for the club.
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