John Souttar was back in action for Rangers B after Michael Beale promised the long-crocked defender some minutes.
The former Hearts man has experienced a torrid time in the last year with injuries, rendering his move from the capital to Glasgow off to a stalled start. Souttar saw one league game for Rangers against Livingston before being hampered by a long-term knock but the weekend against Kilmarnock saw a cameo appearance of one minute.
But the 26-year-old was in from the start alongside fellow injured star Ridvan Yilmaz in the Glasgow Cup against Celtic B, which the Light Blues would go on to lose 3-1. The Turkish defender has also been a point of contention this season after sealing a hefty price tag with his move from Besiktas in the summer despite only a handful of displays.
READ MORE: John Souttar and Ridvan Yilmaz START for Rangers B vs Celtic in Glasgow Cup as they step up returns
Yet Souttar was on the field before being substituted in the second half with the game poised at 0-0. Beale had promised some key minutes for the Scot but insisted there was no rush.
Beale said this week: “John is a really really good player, he has had a real tough time with injury. Since I came into the building he has been a real top teammate to his fellow players when he has not been playing and it is nice to see him get out there today.
“He has only been back training with the group for a couple of weeks so it is the start of him picking up on his fitness but it is lovely to have him back.
"Similarly to Ianis [Hagi], these boys have been lost to the team for the whole season, it is important we don't rush them now because we want them back for the long term.”
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