Philippe Clement shares Oscar Cortes update after Rangers absence v Ajax

Rangers winger Oscar Cortes missing the pre-season friendly against Ajax was not due to a fresh injury concern, Philippe Clement has said.

After the Colombian was not listed either in the starting XI or the extended bench in the Gers’ third pre-season match, Clement clarified the decision was a precautionary one.

Cortes has returned to Ibrox on a 12-month loan from RC Lens after his half-season spell from January, but a posterior muscle injury picked up in March restricted him to just seven appearances.

In quotes reported by The Rangers Review, Clement said: “We had a lot of injuries last season so a lot of players are coming back out of that. We are rebuilding them step by step.

“In that way, Oscar Cortes will not play today. He is fine but had a really tough week so there is no risk to take in this game.”

Oscar Cortes injury update drops at Rangers

While many Gers fans would have expected to see Cortes at least featuring against Ajax in their latest pre-season friendly, Clement’s precaution could pay dividends in the long run.

The fact that the winger is back after his season-ending injury ended any chance of having a big impact at Ibrox, shows that both player and club combined want this move to work [Kenny Miller, 9 June].

With a permanent transfer worth £4million agreed for the end of the coming campaign, Cortes is a player Clement sees as crucial in his new-look side, thus not rushing him back into action makes sense [Daily Record, 4 June].

The 20-year-old could soon be thrust into the spotlight as one of the Belgian’s first-choice wingers after fellow loanees Fabio Silva and Abdallah Sima returned to their parent clubs, and ensuring he’s fully fit and firing on all cylinders before the campaign begins is a wise move on Clement’s part this summer.

In other Rangers news, a British defender has impressed scouts as the Gers attempt to beat rivals Celtic to a new transfer this summer.

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