Injured Tom Lawrence is reportedly a major fitness doubt ahead of Saturday's Celtic showdown.
The Wales international picked up a knee injury during last weekend's 4-0 victory over Ross County and, along with several other first-team stars, played no part in the Premier Sports Cup win over Queen of the South on Tuesday. But while most of Giovanni van Bronckhorst 's most important players were left out with one eye on the weekend derby showdown, Lawrence has found himself pitted against the clock.
The Scottish Sun report the playmaker, a summer signing following his departure from Derby County, could miss the trip to Celtic Park after his knee strain proved more troublesome than first thought. Lawrence would be a near-certain starter if fit, having netted three goals in an impressive start to life in Glasgow, but Van Bronckhorst could now be forced to shuffle his pack if the 28-year-old doesn't make it.
Rangers have enjoyed a largely positive start to the season on the pitch and qualified for the Champions League group stage in August, but the manager has been forced to deal with a number of early season fitness issues. Ben Davies, John Souttar and Alex Lowry have been beset by injuries, while Kemar Roofe remains out and long-term absentees Ianis Hagi and Filip Helander continue their rehabilitation.
Alfredo Morelos has also been out of the picture after Van Bronckhorst took the decision to drop the striker amid concerns over his fitness and attitude. But the Rangers boss revealed after the victory over the Doonhamers that the Colombian star could be on his way to a reprieve.
Van Bronckhorst said: "Yeah well I said it before, I had a good chat with him on Sunday. He had a good week to train but to think about his future. I had a good talk with him so as I said before he is still a Rangers player. He's going to be important for us in the months of the season.
"I saw a change in his attitude, the way he worked. He needs to continue working like this for the next coming months to be the player he can be. A player who can give us a lot."
