Kemar Roofe: Philippe Clement, manager of Rangers, wants to address the striker’s injury issues
Kemar Roofe, who has only scored one goal this season, will miss Sunday’s Scottish Premiership encounter against Hearts due to yet another injury setback. Borna Barisic is still questionable for the Ibrox match.
Rangers forward Kemar Roofe’s fitness concerns will be examined over a longer period of time as Philippe Clement works to “rebuild” the player.
The 30-year-old, who joined the Light Blues from Anderlecht in 2020, has struggled with a number of injuries.
Roofe stayed on the bench for the 4-0 cinch Premiership win over Hibernian last weekend, as well as missing the goalless Europa League draw against Sparta Prague on Thursday night, and will not be in the squad for the visit of Hearts on Sunday.
Clement did not reveal the specifics of the former Leeds forward’s problem, although he was reportedly sent for a scan on a groin complaint in September under previous manager Michael Beale.
“Kemar will not be available for the weekend, for sure,” said the Belgian boss. “Probably we need to rebuild.
“In the next weeks, we need to take a really good look at that because he has been struggling for a long time with the same things.
“It is important to find the reason for that and not always find the solution to get him fit for the next game and struggling afterwards again and going game by game, but really going to the cause of the problem.
I cannot say anything about that (how long he will be out), we first need to make a really good assessment of how to bring Kemar back in a way that he can be a long time back and not a short time because that has been the case the last couple of months, to get him fit for games but struggling in between. So we need to get him really fit.”
Clement was speaking on a Zoom call following what could be a vital Europa League point in the Czech Republic.
Striker Danilo, on his way back to full fitness following a facial injury which requires him to wear a mask on the field, came off the bench and was closest to scoring for the Ibrox side when his shot was tipped on to the crossbar and over by Sparta goalkeeper Peter Vindahl.
Clement believes it will still be several weeks before the Brazilian forward is back to his best.
“He has been out for quite some time,” he stated. In the previous few months, or perhaps the past year, he didn’t play as many 90-minute games.
“In the little time he played, he looked bright, but we need to build him up so he can play at that level for ninety minutes.”
“It is a work of several weeks to bring him to that level.”
Due to an injury, Borna Barisic was unable to go to Prague, and Clement is unsure if the left-back will be available for the match against the Jambos.
He continued: “We will see if Borna can train tomorrow, that is still a question mark.”
While Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo, and Dujon Sterling are still sidelined, Clement anticipates that midfielder Jose Cifuentes will return to training on Saturday.
