Portuguese centre-back Fabio Cardoso has not played for Scottish Premiership giants Rangers since October, when Pedro Caixinha was still in charge.
Ross McCrorie might have only made his Rangers bow in September, but the fact that his absence ahead of next month’s crunch clash with Celtic is seen as a major blow is a reflection of just how far he has come in a short space of time.
The 19-year-old has been a revelation at Ibrox this season and was excellent in the 2-0 Old Firm defeat five months ago. But he has not played since the mid-season trip to Florida in January and, according to the Scottish Sun, now faces a further month on the sidelines.
So Fabio Cardoso might not get a better chance to salvage his Rangers career between now and the end of the season.
The Portuguese centre-back, signed from Vitoria Setubal for £1.3 million in the summer, has struggled to adapt to Scottish football and has not started a league game since Pedro Caixinha was replaced in the dugout by Graeme Murty back in October.
But with McCrorie unfit, Bruno Alves lacking match sharpness, Russell Martin looking a little shaky and David Bates facing an uncertain future beyond this season, Cardoso should at least come into contention.
Injuries and a lack of form for Rangers’ other defenders mean Cardoso faces something of a make-or-break spell at Ibrox.
And if he is still left out in the cold by Murty, it will be pretty clear that the 23-year-old’s future lies away from Glasgow.
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