Rangers have been handed another injury blow with influential midfielder Connor Barron facing three months on the sidelines with a knee ligament injury.
While the 23-year-old struggled to make an impact under previous boss Russell Martin this season, he has become a key component of Danny Rohl's midfield.
He had to bide his time though, starting just one of the German's first four league games at the helm. Since then, he's started all but one of the past nine.
Barron's performance against former club Aberdeen in Rangers' most recent outing – the 2-0 midweek win that moved them second in the table – highlighted his effectiveness.
He set up both goals with first-half corners, which were part of his tally of eight crosses – his highest total this term – and had a passing accuracy of 98.3%.
Barron didn't create a single big chance when he played under Martin, but has now fashioned five in his past four games.
In confirming Barron's lay-off on Friday morning, Rohl bemoaned the loss of a player who – along with Nico Raskin and Mohamed Diomande – helped "dictate the rhythm" and win "a lot of balls" for Rangers.
The stats bear out that assertion. Only Raskin has won possession more times for Rangers in the league this season than Barron's 79.
And Barron has won the third most tackles (20) of any Rangers player while ranking third for interceptions (16) and second for the most passes played into the opposition box (54).
If Rangers are to continue their recent revival, they'll have to find a way to replace his influence in the middle of the park.
