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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
David Irvine

Clement refuses Rangers injury update but admits he could 'take risks with players'

Philippe Clement has refused to provide an injury update on his Rangers team ahead of the Scottish Cup final against Celtic.

The Ibrox manager admitted he could be forced to take "some risks with players" for the showpiece final against Celtic on Saturday. 

However, when quizzed on the availability of players - namely Ridvan Yilmaz, Abdallah Sima and Leon Balogun - Clement remained coy on the fitness of his squad.

The Rangers manager said: "I don't want to say too much about the squad.

"This is the final game, a decisive game so maybe we need to take some risks with players that normally we don't do because there is a season coming after.

"I don't want to get too much into which player is ready or not, or can start or not.

"I did it all season, every three days with you guys, this one I don't want to speak too much about that."

Clement will wait until Friday afternoon before deciding on which players are fit enough to be involved. 

"I need to see training tomorrow, that is the final moment to show you're fit enough to play some minutes," said Clement.

"Otherwise, if you didn't train all week it's impossible to play some minutes in the game."

Rangers recently had as many as 11 players sidelined through injury in the closing stages of the season.

Yilmaz and Sima recently returned to the fold for Rangers but questions remain over whether they could play for the whole 90 minutes.

Clement previously confirmed Danilo, Oscar Cortes and Connor Goldson would be out for the rest of the season.

But he offered no hints to rival manager Brendan Rodgers in his pre-match press conference at Hampden on Thursday.

Clement did, though, reveal that injured players are desperate to be involved but insisted he won't allow those with significant injuries to play a role.

He explained: "It's now about this one moment. To give everything from the whole squad from everyone who is available.

"I think a few guys even want to come on the pitch with crutches - I cannot allow that of course.

"We are going to go hard with the team with every energy that is available  in the building."

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