Alfredo Morelos disaster as Rangers hero suffers freak injury sparking fears he may NEVER play for Santos again

Former Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos could already have played his last game for Santos after picking up a freak training ground injury.

The fallen Brazilian giants are in the midst of a battle against relegation with Morelos drafted in as a free agent in an attempt to save them from the drop - with Santos being one of only three teams in Brazil who have never been relegated along with Flamengo and Sao Paulo. The Colombian faced question marks over his fitness and has managed just two appearance since signing with the club - with his first start coming in the win over Palmeiras last weekend.

But Santos report that interim boss Marcelo Fernandes will not have Morelos at his disposal until 2024 after picking up calf injury while preparing for the clash with title-challengers Bragantino. The Brazilian league season only runs until December so the 27-year-old is at risk of never to play another game for his new club due to a clause which states he is free to go if they fail to beat the drop.

Morelos has endured a nightmare spell since leaving Rangers behind at the end of last season when his contract expired. After being shown the Scottish Premiership door by Michael Beale, the free agent looked set to join Fenerbahce but a move collapsed late in the window - leading to a return to South America.

The forward reportedly holds an exit clause for his ill-fated Santos spell. If the club are relegated it will trigger a release clause in Morelos deal - making him a free agent once again. The club are currently in the drop zone and it looks like his original two-year deal could be ripped up.