Youssef Chermiti Faces Long Injury Layoff After ACL Injury
Rangers have been dealt a brutal early-season blow, with Youssef Chermiti facing “a significant period of time” on the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury in Sunday’s defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox.
The 22-year-old collapsed awkwardly in the first half after clattering into the pitchside boards, immediately signalling trouble. He left the stadium on crutches, wearing a protective boot and knee brace – the kind of exit that rarely comes with good news.
Hours earlier, Rangers had knocked back a sizeable offer from Galatasaray for the Portuguese forward. By full-time, the conversation had shifted from how much he might be worth to how long he might be missing.
Chermiti, capped at U21 level by Portugal, arrived from Everton last summer in a deal worth up to £10m and quickly grew into a central figure in the Rangers attack. Fifteen goals and five assists across all competitions last season pushed his valuation beyond the club-record fee received for Calvin Bassey’s move to Ajax in 2023, an initial £19.6m that set the benchmark at Ibrox.
That form is exactly what Derek McInnes thought he was building around. Instead, three games into his reign as Rangers boss, he is still searching for a first win and now has to rip up his attacking blueprint.
“Disappointed for the big fella that he has to come off on a stretcher,” McInnes said after the Hibs loss, reflecting the mood inside a stunned Ibrox. He highlighted how Chermiti had started brightly, “running gaps” and playing “with a bit of purpose” before the collision robbed Rangers of their focal point.
There was no disguising the sense of loss. McInnes admitted Rangers “missed that” presence once Chermiti departed, the attack blunting just as Hibs grew in belief. The image of the striker leaving with his knee locked in a brace told its own story.
The club’s valuation of Chermiti, and the rejected bid from Galatasaray, underline how central he is to their plans. McInnes stressed there is “no surprise” a sizeable price tag sits on the forward’s shoulders, describing him as a player of “high potential” and, crucially for Rangers, insisting “thankfully he’s our player and that will continue to be the case.”
For now, though, Rangers must plan without him.
Driouech deal close as Rangers accelerate rebuild
If Chermiti’s injury has darkened the mood, the recruitment drive behind the scenes has not slowed. Rangers have already made nine signings this summer, and that tally is about to hit double figures.
A £6.5m agreement is in place for winger Couhaib Driouech from PSV Eindhoven, with the player in the final stages of his move, completing medical tests and paperwork before heading to Ibrox.
Burnley and Celta Vigo had both monitored Driouech, but Rangers have moved decisively. The 21-year-old has produced 12 goals in 61 games for PSV, including three strikes in last season’s Champions League, and added 10 assists to that output. Direct, quick, and productive in the final third, he arrives with a profile that suggests he can immediately challenge for a starting role.
Born in Holland, Driouech previously featured for Heerenveen and Excelsior and has been capped by Morocco at U23 level, hinting at a player comfortable on different stages and in different systems.
The push for Driouech fits into a broader, aggressive rebuild. At Monday’s shareholder meeting, chairman Andrew Cavenagh confirmed Rangers are targeting between three and five further additions before the window shuts, with the 5pm Scottish deadline on September 3 looming large.
The defence sits high on that list. Talks have taken place over Aston Villa right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic, a player who would bring energy and depth on the flank, while Hugo Siquet of Club Brugge is also under consideration as Rangers weigh up their options on the right side of the backline.
On the opposite flank, the club have explored a move for former Hearts left-back James Penrice, currently with AEK in Greece, as they look to add reliability and familiarity with Scottish football to their defensive unit.
The strategy is clear: strengthen heavily now to avoid being left behind later.
Chermiti’s injury complicates that plan but doesn’t derail it. If anything, it sharpens the need for immediate impact from new arrivals like Driouech and any defenders who follow. With McInnes still searching for his first win and the season beginning to take shape, Rangers find themselves at a crossroads – forced to absorb a major setback while trying to build a squad capable of chasing down silverware.
