Ross McCausland 'complex' Rangers injury mystery sparks talks between Philippe Clement and Northern Ireland boss

Ross McCausland has been playing through the pain barrier with injury - and his 'complex' situation has sparked discussions between Philippe Clement and his international manager.

Winger McCausland limped off 35 minutes into Rangers' defeat to Motherwell before the international break, but an immediate return to the bench against Benfica eased fears it was a serious problem. It had been hoped he'd be available for Northern Ireland's friendlies against Romania and Scotland, but he missed the first and it's now been confirmed he will sit out the trip to Hampden too.

So what's actually going on with the 20-year-old? International boss Michael O'Neill admits he isn't so sure. Speaking ahead of the trip to Glasgow to face Steve Clarke and his team, he revealed the situation is more complicated than it seems, even if it isn't 'particularly serious'. And he says he's already held talks with Clement - who he believes didn't actually intend to use him against Benfica.

He said: “I don’t think it’s particularly serious. It’s a little bit complex from my understanding from the medical team. He was optimistic, but he has played with pain since he had the initial challenge and the injury.

“I spoke to Philippe Clement and they had him on the bench against Benfica, but I don’t think that realistically they intended to use him in that situation. He has got a lot to play for between now and the end of the season. We are conscious of that. So we don’t want to put him in a situation where we are bringing him off the bench and he is uncomfortable in that way.

“We just hope that he recovers quickly because the most important thing is that Ross is playing for Rangers and playing regularly because then we have got another player who is