David Bates injury comes at worst time with Rangers future in balance

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Glasgow Rangers defender David Bates had to be stretchered off the Ibrox field at the weekend.

For many Rangers fans, it is baffling that David Bates remains just months away from the Ibrox exit with the young defender still yet to agree a new deal with the Scottish Premiership side.

The Scottish Sun reported in January that the Gers wanted to agree a new contract with the 21-year-old, and he suggested that same month that he wants to stay where he currently is. And yet, no deal has been confirmed.

The fact that his future remains in limbo makes what happened in Sunday’s Old Firm game all the more concerning for the young centre-back, especially with a report from the Daily Record suggesting that Ross McCrorie is coming back from injury and will soon be back in full training.

Bates – who was exceptional in December’s trip to Parkhead – had to be stretchered off during the early stages of the game after a collision with Tom Rogic when the Australian planted his foot on Bates’ ankle as he found the back of the net from outside the box.

The Daily Record suggests that Bates is now set to miss three weeks and is currently a doubt for the Scottish Cup semi-final against their bitter rivals next month, and that is undoubtedly a huge blow for Bates if he is trying to prove that he deserves a new contract with the Gers.

By the time he returns to full fitness, it seems that McCrorie will be back playing, and Graeme Murty would seemingly be taking a major risk relying on a partnership of Bates and McCrorie at the heart of the defence for the remaining games of the season when they have barely played together before.

Bates has shown enough to get a fresh deal, but the fact that nothing has been confirmed as yet just provides the smallest hint that the club may not be as convinced as some of the fans are. And following Sunday, it would appear that it may now be much more difficult for Bates to do whatever convincing he still needs to do during the remaining months of his deal.