Rangers face Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final in less than a fortnight.
Rangers manager Graeme Murty has told Rangers TV, as quoted by the Daily Record, that club captain Lee Wallace has suffered a setback during his recovery from a groin injury.
The 30-year-old has been sidelined for much of the 2017-18 campaign, managing just seven appearances in all competitions and the latest setback will come as a huge blow to the former Hearts left-footer.
But his injury could have even deeper consequences, with Rangers set to face Old Firm rivals Celtic in less than a fortnight in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park.
Murty confirmed Wallace’s injury and stated that he hopes the experienced defender will return to training this week, but did say that it did not look good. No timescale was given on a recovery from the muscle problem.
“He had a flare up from a small procedure to try and alleviate some tension in his groin,” Murty said.
“We are hopeful of getting him back onto the grass this week but obviously it is a time where his body is telling him some signals that aren’t great for us.
“Basically, he had an injection into some scar tissue to try and break that up and sometimes you get a flare from that and increase your sensitivity and increase your irritation around that area, which isn’t nice to play with.”
Wales international Declan John has made the left-back slot his own this season, after joining the club on loan from Championship side Cardiff City before signing a permanent deal in January.
However, Wallace is also able to play at centre-back and his versatility will have been key to have in reserve or indeed to start from the off against Brendan Rodgers’ side. Murty may be forced to do without, if Wallace cannot return sooner rather than later.
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