Rangers handed huge boost as early team news is confirmed, GvB will be buzzing - opinion

Glasgow Rangers have been handed a huge boost ahead of today’s Premiership meeting with Dundee FC.

In recent comments cited by The Courier, the Dundee manager, Mark McGhee, revealed that, following his withdrawal due to injury the 3-0 Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat to Rangers on Monday, Lee Ashcroft has now been ruled out of the second meeting with Gers this week – as the key centre-back looks as if he will require surgery on a recurring hamstring problem.

Speaking about the current condition of the 28-year-old, the Dundee boss said: “He has had a bit of relapse and he’ll probably end up having surgery again. He will be out for the season. It is a shocker for us and the boy himself, the implications going forward as well. We are gutted for him.”

While it is never pleasant learning players have been ruled out for a considerable amount of time due to injury, considering just how important Ashcroft has proven to be in the Dundee defence this season, the news the Scot has been ruled out of today’s fixture is sure to have left Giovanni van Bronckhorst buzzing.

Indeed, over his 16 Premiership appearances in the current campaign, the £315k-rated man has been a rock in the heart of the Dark Blues backline, helping his side keep two clean sheets, scoring one goal and providing one assist, as well as making an average of 0.7 interceptions, one tackle, 5.8 clearances and winning a whopping 7.3 duels – at a success rate of 67% – per game.

These returns have seen the centre-back average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as McGhee’s joint third-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

As such, the news that Ashcroft will be sidelined for the visit of Rangers is sure to come as a huge