'Mental Decision' - Journalist stunned as Rangers ace missing from 1st-team v Motherwell & left to 'Rot'

Rangers leaving Ianis Hagi out of the first-team set-up has been branded a “mental decision” by Mark McDougall.

The Herald journalist reacted via X on 10 August after the exit-linked Romanian again impressed for the B Team against Derby County, scoring a hat-trick, amazed that he has been left “to rot” when he would “instantly” improve the first team.

Philippe Clement has named his XI to face Motherwell the same day at Hampden Park, where Ryan Jack is certain the stadium switch will have an effect [The Warm-Up, 9 August], with Scott Wright again included.

McDougall wrote after Hagi fired in a long-range screamer for the B Team: “Rangers leaving Ianis Hagi to rot in the B team is one of the more mental decisions of this summer. Instantly improves the first team if he’s in the squad”.

Scott Wright starts for Rangers as Ianis Hagi ignored

In isolation it isn’t the most insane decision to leave the 39-cap attacker out of the first-team when he is widely expected to leave soon.

He is thought to have a deal line up to move to Fiorentina [SportpeSure, 21 July] and Clement has made clear he wants to focus on players who are focused on staying, with Hagi set to go after talks with his agent were confirmed [Rangers Review, 5 August].

But after looking good against Middlesbrough he has now hit a hat-trick against Derby to demonstrate what he can do, and when the first-team’s overhaul is unfinished it looks all the more glarring.

That Wright keeps being named in the XI again highlights the paucity of options even if Clement surely could have left Jefte in the line-up after he replaced the Scot vs Dynamo Kyiv.

If Hagi is playing, and thriving, for the B Team he clearly isn’t been kept out of harm’s way to prevent an injury and he keeps demonstrating he has something to offer while he is still in Glasgow.

Maybe if Vaclav Cerny shines in his first start against Motherwell and Rangers record a good win then the focus will be taken away from who isn’t there.

But after two games without a win already it is raising questions over a strong option who is neither playing for the Light Blues first-team or yet leaving to bring in a transfer fee, so frustrations are no surprise.

In other Rangers news, Clement sack plans at Ibrox have emerged if the season gets off to a bad start.

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