Croatia boss Zlatko Dalić confirmed that Rangers star Borna Barišić missed this afternoon’s 1-0 defeat by England in their opening Euro 2020 match through injury – and the news is sure to concern Steven Gerrard ahead of a massive season for the Gers.
Barišić’s absence sparked a disappointed reaction from Rangers fans amid the initial confusion over why he wasn’t in the side, before Dalić admitted that the Ibrox star had been “struggling” recently.
The Croatian missed the final two games of the Premiership campaign through injury but did return to action for his country in the pre-Euro 2020 friendlies.
After playing the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Armenia, Barišić only lasted 45 minutes against Belgium before he was replaced by RB Leipzig wonderkid Joško Gvardiol.
Gavridol retained his place in the side at Wembley, putting in a decent shift as England won their opening game at a European Championship for the first time ever.
Croatia play the Czech Republic at Hampden on Friday so there will be plenty of worried Rangers fans looking to see if Barišić at least manages to make the bench this time.
Positives for Rangers?
While the news of his injury will be a concern for Rangers, the fact that he hasn’t been removed from the squad is a positive and suggests that there isn’t too much to be worried about.
With Champions League qualifiers rapidly approaching for Rangers, as well as the first title defence by them in a decade, having Barišić fit and available will be crucial for Gerrard’s side.
If it proves there is a more serious underlying problem that needs an extended spell on the sidelines, it’ll really put pressure on Calvin Bassey – or could even open the door for Nathan Patterson or James Tavernier to switch flanks.
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