Ianis Hagi in Rangers injury bombshell as dad Gheorge confesses star may not return until 2023

Rangers star Ianis Hagi may not return to the pitch until 2023, his dad Gheorge has revealed.

The Ibrox star required surgery on an ACL injury sustained during a Scottish Cup win over Stirling Albion in January and has been fighting to return to full fitness. But it's proving a long road for the 23-year-old Romanian - and there could be some way to go yet.

Boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst said in August that he did not expect Hagi would return before the domestic season paused for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. And now the playmaker's father, a Barcelona and Real Madrid icon, has offered an even more cautious assessment. He's confessed it could be the New Year before Hagi Jr is backing kicking a ball in anger for the Light Blues. Speaking to Romanian TV, Hagi Sr said: "I don't know whether Ianis will play this year or not.

"He is in his last period of rehabilitation, but that won't be a short period of time either. It takes time. He has returned to light training and he is beginning to get used to the effort and power required that you need on the pitch.

"We are all hoping he comes back as soon as possible. I'm not in Glasgow, so I don't know exactly how well he is doing. The Rangers doctors and medical staff...they will know his progress a lot better than me."