Kieran Dowell dealt huge Rangers injury blow with 'bad' La Manga pitch blamed and Dujon Sterling update offered

Philippe Clement has been yet again left cursing Rangers' rotten run of injury misfortune as the Ibrox boss confirmed Kieran Dowell faces a "long time" out after returning crocked from the club's winter training camp.

The former Everton and Norwich star was given permission to fly out late to La Manga as he dealt with a personal matter. He was absent again as the Light Blues took on German outfit Hertha Berlin in a kick-about on Saturday. And now Clement has revealed that the midfield ace won't be seen again any time soon after going down on one of the rutted pitches they were working on during their time in Spain.

Dujon Sterling also sits out against Danes FC Copenhagen at Ibrox but the Gers' Belgian boss is confident the former Chelsea defender will be back in action long before Dowell. He said: "Kieran was really unlucky that he stuck in the grass on a bad pitch in La Manga. He will be out quite a long time normally.

"We need to make an assessment around that and how many weeks but he will not be back in the next couple of weeks that's for sure. With Dujon, he got a knock and could not feature today but I expect him back at the end of the week."

The news will be of major frustration to both player and boss. Dowell was one of nine new signings recruited by former Gers gaffer Michael Beale in the summer.

He had registered just five appearances when he was laid low by a knock that would keep him out for two months. It looked like he was just getting back up to speed over the festive period, registering four starts after being drafted back into Clement's injury-hit midfield.

He scored just his second goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Motherwell at Fir Park on Christmas Eve. But that progress has now stalled again with