RYAN Jack’s Scotland woes seem set to continue with the Rangers midfielder emerging as a major doubt for the forthcoming double header against Russia and San Marino after spending last night undergoing a scan on a calf problem picked up during the Europa League defeat against Young Boys in Bern. The 27-year-old, at the centre of a club versus country row when succumbing to injury during a double Scotland training session during the previous get-together, seemed in line for a major role in Moscow but Steve Clarke will almost certainly have to think again with the player definitely out of the Ibrox side’s home meeting with Hamilton tomorrow.
While Clarke could opt to keep him around the squad for the meeting with San Marino in eight days’ time, much will depend on the results of the scan which the former Aberdeen midfielder was undergoing last night. The injury is not connected to an ongoing knee problem which Jack has been managing for some time but the international week would offer valuable breathing space for him to get back to 100%.
“There is definitely a problem in there which means that he will be ruled out for us and then depending what the outcome is, we’ll see whether or not he needs to pull out of international duty too,” said Gerrard. “Hopefully that’s not going to be the case.
“He has worked so hard and he is in great form so it would have been nice for him to go away with Scotland,” he added. “It is his calf but right at the very top and the very back. It is nothing to do with the knee issue that he manages. I am no doctor or medic .... but if there is muscle damage in there I am sure he will be pulled out but it could just be a little bit of a flush and a scan is the only thing that will confirm that.”
While losing the midfielder for the meeting with Hamilton Accies is a blow, Gerrard is delighted with the player, who he hopes to tie down on an extended contract imminently. with the chance to rest up during the international break. “He and his advisors are in talks with the club about that [a new contract].Hopefully there will be some developments with that over the coming weeks because he deserves to be rewarded.”
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