Rangers-bound Jordan Jones didn’t appear at Ibrox on Saturday.
Kilmarnock boss Steve Clarke has told The Scottish Sun that there was no room for winger Jordan Jones in the squad to face Rangers.
Killie travelled to Ibrox on Saturday afternoon to take on Steven Gerrard’s side, and they were able to frustrate Rangers once again.
Early substitute Conor McAleny opened the scoring for the visitors, grabbing his second Kilmarnock goal having come on for Eamonn Brophy after five minutes.
Kilmarnock went into the second half leading but couldn’t hang on, as Alfredo Morelos bagged an equaliser for Rangers – and 1-1 is how it finished.
Kilmarnock have been tough nut for Celtic and Rangers to crack at times this season, and that proved to be the case again – even without winger Jones.
The Northern Ireland international was a surprise omission from the Kilmarnock squad on Saturday, and not only was he left out of the starting line-up, but he wasn’t even on the bench either.
That decision raised eyebrows given that Jones has already agreed a summer move to Rangers, but boss Clarke suggested that he simply couldn’t find space for Jones in his squad as he had a certain plan in mind.
“Jordan Jones was fit, but I picked the team with a certain way of playing in mind,” said Clarke. “I couldn’t find a space on the bench for Jordan. We defended well. We were competitive from start to finish,” he added.
It seems somewhat peculiar that Jones was left out, even with that explanation. Some Rangers fans are already unsure that Jones will be a positive addition, and his omission on Saturday will leave some worried.
Kilmarnock going to Ibrox and getting a result without Jones may just hint that he could be in and out of the side between now and the end of the season, which would surely concern Rangers when he’s ready to make the move to Ibrox, as he’s supposed to be a player to really spark Rangers into life going forward.
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