Michael Beale insists Rangers fighting 'against the odds' to topple Celtic as Lawrence and Roofe in fresh injury woe

Rangers boss Michael Beale confessed his side are fighting “against the odds” after admitting the Ibrox outfit can't match Celtic's financial might.

The admission came as the Ibrox boss revealed he’s been hit with a fresh injury blow just days on from the despair of losing Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final. Tom Lawrence will not play again this season after Beale confirmed the midfielder has been sent for surgery that will rule him out until the summer.

And Kemar Roofe’s prospects of an imminent return to action are also looking slim with the striker on his way to see a specialist over a persistent calf complaint. That news is the last thing Beale needs as the Rangers gaffer begins the process of lifting his shattered squad following their Hampden agony. Last Sunday’s defeat to Celtic has again sparked a clamour among the Light Blue legions for a sweeping reform of the Ibrox first-team. Beale is already making plans but admits he and recruitment chief Ross Wilson have to find ways to make their cash go further after conceding he won’t be able to match Ange Postecoglu’s spending power.

The Ibrox boss added: “The biggest clubs in the world spend hundreds of millions and get it wrong. That’s the reality of recruitment. We’re competing against the odds if you like. In general, if you look at any league in the world, the team that spends the most is first. So we have to compete against the odds because we’re not going to spend the most money. We’re not going to recruit the finished product. So there’s a lot of coaching, a little bit of patience and a lot of good work to go on.”

Beale added Nico Raskin and Todd Cantwell to his squad last month and believes there could be as many as five new faces needed this summer.

He added: “It is