RANGERS manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst today explained why Rabbi Matondo was not in his match day squad for the cinch Premiership match against Dundee United at Ibrox.
Welsh internationalist winger Matondo, a £2.5m signing from German club Schalke 04 back in July, has not started a league game for the Glasgow club in nearly a month.
The 22-year-old was not involved in the league meeting with United in Govan this afternoon which his side won 2-1.
Rangers dismissed online reports that Matondo had been disciplined and dropped for poor time keeping earlier.
Van Bronkhorst, who fielded youngster Charlie McCann in central midfield and Scott Arfield wide on the right, stated that he missed out because he had to cut his squad after the midweek encounter with Napoli in the Champions League.
“Before the three defeats we had players scoring from midfield,” he said. “Tom Lawrence is one of the players who has started the season really well as well. Unfortunately we don’t have him.
"We have to have more players to be able to score. Ryan Kent is a player who is also very dangerous, but also needs to improve his scoring. He knows that he needs to improve that.
“Rabbi is a player who can deliver that. He is one of the players I didn’t pick today because I had to go from 23 to 20, which is always difficult for a manager to do so.
“We will just go on with the squad we have, improve them and make sure we develop as a team in the coming games.”
Van Bronckhorst is hopeful he will have Welsh internationalist Lawrence available again after the international break – but admitted that centre backs Filip Helander and John Souttar have some way to go before they are fit again.
“Hopefully we will have Tom back after the break,” he said. “Tom has a good chance to be available again.
"For us it is good that there is the break now so Tom has two weeks extra to recover. It is going to be close for Hearts, but somewhere in that period we should have him back.”
“John and Fil will take longer. They won’t be back after the break. Souttar and Helander will not be in the coming weeks."
“Kemar Roofe? we will have to see if he is one of the players who can come back really quick or if he maybe takes a longer time.”
