Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement has seen injury after injury make his spell at Ibrox harder than it really should have been.
The 3-3 draw away at Hearts was no different, as several first-team players were unavailable, which meant the Belgian had to call upon those who had been keeping the bench warm in recent months for a berth in the starting XI.
Due to John Lundstram’s suspension, Nicolas Raskin was unleashed in the starting XI against the Jambos on Saturday afternoon, yet his performance wasn’t exactly the best, and he may have played himself out of cup final selection.
Nico Raskin’s game in numbers against Hearts
The Belgian has played just 29 games all season due to a variety of injury issues, but he was given a rare start against the Jambos.
Operating alongside Mohamed Diomande at the heart of the midfield, the youngster was certainly combative in nature during the game, yet he lost nine of his 20 attempted duels while being dribbled past once and losing possession 11 times throughout.
He failed to really create anything going forward, making zero key passes while succeeding with just one dribble attempt and his two shots were both off target.
Accurate passes
41/48
Key passes
0
Total duels (won)
20 (11)
Possession lost
11
Tackles made
6
Raskin was subsequently given a rating of just 5/10 for his display by Football Insider, and it was hardly a performance which would have pleased Clement.
Kieran Dowell, who came on for Diomande with just 30 minutes remaining, showed more going forward than Raskin did in the full game, which could perhaps give the 50-year-old coach a major dilemma for next week.
The player who can replace Raskin at Hampden
Like his teammate, the former Everton starlet has struggled majorly with injuries this season, being restricted to just 16 appearances in all competitions.
Despite this, the Englishman has still scored three goals and chipped in with an assist, looking lively on occasions, none more so than on Saturday against the Edinburgh side.
His 30-minute cameo was a positive one, garnering a match rating of 6/10 from Football Insider and his inclusion in the team gave them a bit more attacking dynamism in the midfield.
Indeed, Dowell managed to take two shots, make one key pass, while succeeding with two of his three dribble attempts, grabbing an assist and even hitting the woodwork, coming so close to scoring his fourth of the campaign.
It was certainly an energetic cameo, to say the least, with Dowell even winning four of his six ground duels, proving how stubborn he is during one-on-one battles.
Could this perhaps give Clement something to think about heading into the Scottish Cup final next weekend? Especially with Dowell’s ability to burst forward on a regular basis adding something extra in the final third.
A lot can change in seven days, especially in football, but the 26-year-old has done his chances absolutely no harm at all following the 3-3 draw against Hearts.
Whoever is chosen in the starting XI, they will need to deliver their best performances of the season, otherwise Celtic will secure yet another Old Firm victory.
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