‘Not terrible’ Leon Balogun injury update from Philippe Clement as Rangers defender takes facial blow

Rangers manager Philippe Clement suspects that defender Leon Balogun may have sustained a facial injury, possibly a broken bone, during their 3-0 victory against Livingston in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox on Saturday.

Balogun, who started alongside Connor Goldson in the central defense, had to leave the field after 22 minutes following an accidental clash of heads with Livingston’s Shaun Donnellan.

Despite receiving on-field treatment, the 35-year-old was unable to continue, and John Souttar replaced him. This setback came after Balogun missed out on a spot in Rangers’ Europa League last-16 squad the day before.

Providing an update on Balogun’s condition, Clement described him as a “warrior” and mentioned the possibility of a facial fracture.

The positive aspect is Balogun’s determination to return swiftly, expressing a willingness to play with a protective mask.

Clement deferred the decision on Balogun’s return to the medical staff.

Regarding the Europa League squad, Clement explained that he chose to include Ridvan Yilmaz, Fabio Silva, and Mohamed Diomande instead of Balogun, emphasizing the need for balance and cover in key positions.

He particularly highlighted the necessity of having two full-backs, addressing a potential issue they faced in the previous round if Borna Barisic encountered any problems.