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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Mark Walker

Rangers supporters urged to be patient as Ianis Hagi continues injury comeback

Rangers fans have been urged to be patient with Ianis Hagi by his father Gheorghe Hagi after he admitted it will take time for him to return to his best after over a year out of action.

The Romanian international is back after being out for 13 months after suffering a knee injury against Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup last season.

However, so far he has only made a fleeting sub appearance against St Johnstone in the league and a 45 minute showing against Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup before being hooked three weeks ago and hasn't featured since.

Now his famous father has stepped in to give an update on his progress and insisted his son will need a lot of time to get back up to speed.

The former Real Madrid and Barcelona star said: "Basically, he needs patience. Give him time and he will return better than he was before.

"Ianis was very unlucky to get injured through no intention of his opponent. It was a serious injury...very serious and wasn't even just a typical knee injury.

"He came back, he worked very hard and I can already see how he is very happy to be back. But he has only been back a month and great care must be taken because he was out for over a year.

"You can't be out for a year and expect that after just a month back, you will be up to speed with the tactics and especially the physical aspect of the game.

"During this period out, he matured. Even though he was injured, he watched football and he understands it very, very well now.

"Will he return a better player for it? I think so. He's healthy and mentally strong."

At The Herald and Times we know the importance of reaching you where it's convenient, which is why we've engaged top sportswriter James Morgan to bring you an irreverent daily update on what's happening in the world of sport. Be it football, golf, rugby, cricket or something more exotic, James will tread where the best stories take him. To get this exclusive bespoke piece sent directly to your email inbox for free every day at 5pm, simply take a few seconds to type in your email here. It's that simple!

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