Kemar Roofe ruled out of key Rangers games with knee injury

Rangers have been hit with a major blow after Kemar Roofe was ruled out of a crucial run of games with a knee injury.

The striker will miss cinch Premiership games against Motherwell on Saturday and Celtic the following weekend as well as the Europa League semi-final first leg against RB Leipzig in Germany in between.

The former Leeds and Anderlecht player could also be a fitness doubt for the home leg on May 5.

Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey faces a similar lay-off after injuring his hamstring during Rangers’ Scottish Cup semi-final win over Celtic on Sunday.

Roofe performed well against Celtic after hitting four goals in his previous two games and his absence compounds the absence of Rangers’ top goalscorer Alfredo Morelos, who is out following thigh surgery.

Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst said: “Aaron had to come off with a hamstring problem, we have assessed him this week and hopefully we will have him back around the Leipzig home game.

“We also had a problem with Kemar Roofe after the game. The next day he felt his knee. For him it is the same, he will be out for some weeks and hopefully also back for me to pick around the Leipzig home game.”

With Cedric Itten not featuring in the league since a 3-3 draw with Ross County on January 29, the onus will be on Fashion Sakala to provide a threat in the centre-forward area.

The Zambia international claimed the winner against Celtic on Sunday, although it was officially given as an own goal from Carl Starfelt, and he has an impressive record against Motherwell – half of his official 10-goal tally have come against the Lanarkshire side.

“Of course with Morelos already out and Kemar out for a couple of weeks, we have less options up front,” Van Bronckhorst said.

“But as