Rangers' Injury Crisis: McInnes Admits to Defensive Woes and Transfer Needs

Derek McInnes admits Rangers are “playing with fire” at the back and scrambling for a new No 9 after a brutal injury double blow derailed his plans before the season has properly settled.

Chermiti blow forces transfer rethink

Youssef Chermiti’s season has been ripped apart almost before it began. The 22-year-old striker suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Saturday’s defeat by Hibernian, just hours after McInnes had confirmed a bid for the Portugal Under-21 forward had been knocked back. Galatasaray have been heavily linked with the former Everton man.

Now, instead of talking about how to build a team around him, Rangers are waiting on a specialist’s verdict in London and preparing for surgery as early as next week.

“Obviously, really disappointing for ourselves,” McInnes said. “Selfishly, he's a big part of what we wanted to do this season and he's obviously a talented boy.

“For Youssef himself, obviously he's very young. It'll be difficult for him to accept and understand what's happened to him.”

The timing, at least from a squad-building perspective, gives Rangers one lifeline.

“The only saving grace from our point of view as a club is the fact it's happened in a transfer window and we've got the opportunity to react to that,” McInnes admitted.

The plan had been clear: Chermiti would stay, and the club had already shown that by rejecting what McInnes described as a “big number” for him. The exact figure? The manager says he doesn’t know, and now it barely matters.

“The plan was for Youssef to stay in. Obviously it was a big number that was reportedly bid for him. I don't know exactly what the figure was. Obviously the club rejected that. It's neither here nor there now, to be honest. It's done.”

What matters now is the replacement. And that search has already started.

“We are obviously looking at maybe strengthening that area of the pitch. We're trying to be quite proactive with that and seeing what is available. Number nines are normally the most difficult ones to get.”

Defence stretched and “playing with fire”

The injury list doesn’t stop with Chermiti. Left-back Tuur Rommens is also out, sidelined for up to eight weeks after a groin injury in the same match against Hibs. One game, two key injuries, and a squad suddenly exposed.

McInnes has been uneasy about his defensive depth for a while. Now the concern has turned into a clear warning.

“Strengthening defensively and in wide areas was the priority,” he said. “We don't have a left-footed defender in the building. We're keen to try and get that resolved as quickly as possible.

“With the numbers we've got there, we are kind of playing with fire. Defensively, it's always been a bit of a concern. I always thought we were short of numbers there.

“We all know what we need but acting really swiftly would help matters.”

Rangers host Jagiellonia Bialystok on Thursday in the Europa League third qualifying round, trailing 2-1 from the first leg. It is exactly the kind of high-stakes night when a thin back line and a missing centre-forward can be brutally exposed.

Targets emerge as recruitment drive intensifies

The response has to come from the transfer market, and quickly.

McInnes wants a left-back, a striker and fresh width in attack. The recruitment team has its brief.

“We're trying to bring wingers in. It's in the hands of the recruitment team to try and get that over the line. Nothing's been finalised with anything yet.”

Brentford’s Jayden Meghoma, 20, is one obvious option at left-back. He spent last season on loan at Ibrox and has been linked with a return for a second spell. On the flanks, PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech has been strongly touted for a permanent move.

That deal, McInnes concedes, is well advanced – but not done.

“We've been linked with a lot of players. That one's gained a bit of momentum and we are quite far down the line with that but I don't know where it's at currently. All these things are still ongoing.”

A season that was supposed to be built around Chermiti now pivots on how quickly Rangers can rebuild without him – and whether the recruitment team can match McInnes’ urgency before the window slams shut.