View: 'Simply Ridiculous' B Team ace who rejected summer exit finally has Rangers return chance after double-squad development

Philippe Clement’s Rangers squad for the Europa League emerged with a pair of notable absentees on Thursday before explanations arrived to further damage the club’s start to the season.

Neither Rabbi Matondo and Danilo were named in the European group on the UEFA website on 5 September, and their absence has handed one exit-linked Gers ace an expected route back in.

It quickly emerged that the Brazilian striker would be out for a month after suffering a set back to the knee injury that caused him to miss most of last season and undergoing surgery [Chris Jack, 5 September].

Football Scotland reported later the same day that the injury that saw Welsh winger Matondo substituted early in the Celtic defeat at the weekend was a “severe” grade three hamstring tear that could see him kept out for months.

The two latest injury updates from the perennially-afflicted Light Blues were indisputably bad news in the grand scheme of things at Ibrox, but if forgotten homegrown ace Alex Lowry is ever going to get a chance to force his way back in that time has now arrived.

Alex Lowry has major Rangers opportunity after being frozen out

The Scot has been frozen out of the first-team picture since preseason but is automatically included in the Europa League squad as a 21-year-old academy product [Scottish Sun, 5 September].

He has impressed in action for the B Team after scoring a “simply ridiculous” stunner as part of a match-winning double against Clyde last month [4 Lads Had A Dream, 15 August].

An exit was expected before the transfer deadline but Carlisle United boss Paul Simpson revealed the Lowry didn’t want to leave Ibrox after talks [News & Star, 30 August].

It’s anything but a foregone conclusion that Clement will now take notice after showing no interest in recent weeks.

Philippe Clement left with Vaclav Cerny, Ross McCausland out wide

But with two attackers ruled out for weeks if not months, Scott Wright sold to Birmingham City, Oscar Cortes not yet back from his own injury, Samuel Edozie’s deadline day loan collapsing at the last minute [The Athletic, 30 August] and Ianis Hagi also excluded from the European squad as he remains frozen out surely gives Lowry the best chance of a first senior Gers outing under the Belgian.

Vaclav Cerny and Ross McCausland are the only recognised wingers currently available and while Clement has used Jefte and Dujon Sterling as emergency options the left-back is needed in defence thanks to Ridvan Yilmaz’s injury, and the right-back might finally get a run at his intended spot amid major pressure on James Tavernier.

So it has got to be now or never for Lowry to add to his 14 Rangers appearances, or know for certain he has no future at the club.

In other Rangers news, Light Blues footage has been branded “absolutely unacceptable”.

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