Derek McInnes has cautioned that Rangers are "playing with fire" after a spate of injuries has left the club with a very thin pool of defensive options. The Rangers boss disclosed that midfielder Tuur Rommens suffered a groin strain in the dying minutes of Sunday’s Scottish Premiership loss to Hibernian and is now expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks. At the same time, the team’s forward line has taken a serious blow as striker Youssef Chermiti sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the same match, ruling him out for a "significant period of time". The double setback comes at a time when Rangers have endured a winless start to the campaign, prompting McInnes to admit that the squad needs additional help, particularly in the full‑back, wing and attacking positions.
The club has already moved to address the shortage on the flanks by targeting PSV winger Couhaib Driouech, who is set to arrive for a fee in the region of £6.5 million. McInnes explained that bolstering the defence and adding width were top priorities, but losing a player of Chermiti’s calibre also forces the club to look at its striking options. "Strengthening defensively, strengthening in wide areas was a priority. But obviously losing a player of Youssef's ability, we need to look at that one as well," McInnes said ahead of Thursday’s Europa League qualifier against Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok.
He added that the current defensive roster lacks variety, noting, "We don't have an array of options defensively. We don't have a left‑footed defender in the building and we're keen to try and get that resolved as quickly as possible." The manager was blunt about the precarious situation, stating, "I do think that with the numbers we've got there, we are playing with fire and we are a couple of defenders being injured. The good thing is we've got the ability to react to it and hopefully we can react positively." This sentiment reflects the urgency with which the club must act in the transfer market, especially as the team prepares for a crucial Europa League second‑leg match where they trail 2‑1 after the first encounter.
Chermiti’s injury came just hours after news broke that Rangers had turned down a substantial offer from Galatasaray for the forward. McInnes made it clear that the club had no intention of parting with the young striker this summer, saying, "The plan was for Youssef to be a big part of it for us.
One minute you're flying high and you've got the full season ahead of you and a lot of loftier ambitions for yourself, then obviously he's had to deal with this injury." He went on to discuss the difficulty of finding a suitable replacement for a traditional number nine, emphasizing the need for pace and the ability to stretch defences, qualities that Chermiti displayed before his injury. "We will try to get the right one that would complement what we've got at the top of the pitch. Obviously, we're looking for a bit of pace at the top of the pitch, ideally something similar to what Youssef did," McInnes added. Rangers have collected only a single point from their opening two league fixtures, a poor start that adds pressure to the upcoming European tie.
McInnes, a former Hearts manager, acknowledged that the season will not be a smooth ride, but reminded everyone that he was hired for a reason. "We understand that it's not always going to be sunshine and rainbows, I got the job for a reason," he said, before noting the magnitude of the upcoming match: "We're going to be playing a European game in front of 50,000 tomorrow." He also reflected on the broader challenges of reshaping the squad, admitting that the process has been more complex than anticipated. "There are a lot of changes indeed, and there's a lot of turning around of the squad. Of course, it's not been as straightforward as I hoped, and we want to enjoy the job a lot better than it is at the minute.
It's part of being a manager. There's ups and downs, but it's about coping with the difficult times. It defines you, and I think it's up to us now to knuckle down, stay calm, work really swiftly in recruitment." In summary, McInnes’s message to the Rangers faithful is clear: the club is navigating a precarious period marked by injuries to key defensive and attacking players, a lack of depth in crucial positions, and a need for immediate reinforcement.
The upcoming Europa League qualifier against Jagiellonia Białystok will be a litmus test for the team’s resilience and the effectiveness of any swift recruitment moves. Rangers must act quickly to shore up the back line, secure a new striker, and restore confidence after a disappointing league start, all while managing the expectations of a passionate fan base eager to see the club return to its traditional standards of success.