Danny Röhl has confirmed that Rangers will be without two key players for Sunday’s trip to Pittodrie, with Connor Barron facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines and Dujon Sterling also ruled out of the clash with Aberdeen.
The German head coach revealed that Barron, who has been one of Rangers standout performers during their recent four-game winning run, will be missing for between eight and 12 weeks after suffering a knee injury in Tuesday’s 2–0 victory over the Dons at Ibrox.
“Yes, I can,” Röhl said when asked for an update on the injury situation.
“I think we won the game on Tuesday, but we lost two players after this game.
“Connor is a big loss, I think he will be out around eight to 12 weeks.
“The system is big about March, April at the minute.”
Sterling’s setback is less severe, with Röhl optimistic about a quicker return.
“Dujon, it looks not so bad,” he explained.
“I think Dujon could be available in two or three weeks.
“We have the cup game, then the Europa League game, and then after that maybe he’s back.”
Barron’s absence is particularly damaging given his recent form and the chemistry he had developed in midfield alongside Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande.
“It’s not just the player Connor,” Röhl said.
“I think also the relationship with Nico was very special. When you look at the pitch, it was very fluid. They helped each other.
“In the last two games you saw as well Dio – these three midfielders were very strong. They dictated the rhythm, they won a lot of balls.”
With Barron sidelined, Röhl acknowledged that others must now step up.
“It’s time then for maybe other players to step in and take the responsibility.”
The injuries come at a frustrating time, with Rangers finally building consistency.
“Since I’m here, it’s a never-ending story,” Röhl admitted.
“Always when you have a team together and you try to grow and give them confidence, then you have new injuries.
“But in the last couple of weeks we did well, we found again a solution.”
Despite the setbacks, Röhl remains positive about Rangers momentum and their place in the title race.
“We are surprised with a lot of good results at the moment,” he said.
“We are really involved in a race and I think this is fantastic.
“Four wins in a row is good, but five wins in a row is much, much better.”
Looking ahead to Pittodrie, Röhl expects a tougher challenge than Tuesday’s controlled win at Ibrox.
“They will be a different opponent,” he warned.
“The environment, the stadium, the atmosphere will be different - they will challenge us.”
He also admitted Rangers must be more ruthless defensively.
“We gave them opportunities on Tuesday in counter-attacks.
“We have to be very sure we give them not so many opportunities again.”
On the transfer front, Röhl hinted that new arrivals could be imminent – with Danish defensive midfielder Tochi Chukwuani and Belgian left-back Tuur Rommens both close to signing.
“Hopefully, yes,” he said when asked about signings before Sunday. “But you have to make sure they are ready.”
He also confirmed Rangers are targeting physical profiles and reinforcements at left-back and in midfield.
“We look for a physical side,” Röhl explained.
“There’s no secret about the six position that we have to strengthen this area.”
With Barron now ruled out until March, Röhl admitted the injury may accelerate midfield recruitment.
“When you lose more midfielders, you have to think about what could be anything else on top,” he said.
“This is now what we are looking for.”
Despite the challenges, Röhl’s message remains clear.
“We have to be hungry, we have to be ambitious,” he insisted. “But we also have to be humble.”
Rangers now head to Pittodrie without two of their most influential recent performers – but with confidence growing, belief building, and reinforcements potentially on the way.