With Gareth McAuley nearing a return for Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers, Joe Worrall may drop down the pecking order of centre-back options.
Rangers first-team coach Michael Beale revealed to The Belfast Telegraph on Monday that Gareth McAuley is closing in on a return to senior football.
The Northern Irish defender hasn’t kicked a ball for Rangers since joining on a free transfer during the summer, following his release by West Bromwich Albion.
Beale’s revelation is certainly good news for the Gers, because the 38-year-old has a wealth of experience and he will help Steven Gerrard’s side for the rest of the season.
But it might not be great news for Joe Worrall.
The 21-year-old must have known that his team-mate was close to coming back, meaning that his shaky performance in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at St Mirren is less forgiveable.
Worrall, on loan from Nottingham Forest, hardly sent a good message to Gerrard with an erratic display against Saints, and it’s entirely possible that he could be demoted to fourth-choice central defender – behind Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic and McAuley – in the near future.
The Englishman also intimated on Sunday that he does not envisage a long-term future in Glasgow, stating it’s just ‘a loan for me’. McAuley’s return, coupled with those comments which sort of distance himself from Gerrard’s project, means his spell with the Blues could get a lot worse soon.
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