In the weekend’s 3-0 triumph over Livingston, the 31-year-old midfielder made his Light Blues debut for the first time since mid-November. However, the manager stated in advance of Neil Warnock’s Aberdeen visit that he would not be taking a chance on the Scot in the next game.
Before his most recent nine-game layoff, which included the Viaplay Cup final victory for which Clement was battling a midfield selection issue, Jack returned injured from Scotland’s international service. This is part of a continuing trend for both him and Ibrox as a whole.
The manager, who has expressed his disbelief at the extent of injury absences since taking over in Glasgow, repeated this sentiment when he conveyed his hope that the backroom staff will be able to get Jack well enough to play on a regular basis—something he recognized hasn’t happened in several seasons.
The Belgian stated, via Football Scotland, in a statement on February 5th, “There is not much recovery time between the two games.” I won’t gamble with him at this time. Over the next weeks and months, we will work with our medical team and performance experts to strengthen him and help him break free from this pattern of injuries. That is long-term planning.
“Every player is putting in a lot of effort to be available. We must reconstruct them. However, the fact that they’re back in the running for a playing slot and a berth on the squad is already encouraging. Naturally, compared to when we had 11 players out, I’m happier now. However, I had never witnessed a circumstance like that in my life.
“We operate in a way to produce that, so I’m used to having teams where nearly everyone is fit. I therefore hope to avoid being in that circumstance in the future. It is therefore not content about it. Getting them there still takes a lot of work.
“To attempt to get that (Jack regularly playing), we’re going to use every tool in and around the building.” It is something that hasn’t occurred in the last few years. It’s a good challenge, then. See, we face difficulties outside of the ranking as well as difficulties within it.
Jack, a Scotland international, is more than capable of playing a significant role when healthy, but his contract expires in the summer, and his consistent absence from the team is significantly decreasing the likelihood that he will receive an extension.
Jack’s Rangers availability issues persist
Despite having done so in all four of his prior seasons with Aberdeen, he has never reached 2,000 SPFL minutes in a season since joining Rangers in 2017 and has failed to reach the 1,500 minute mark in either of the previous two campaigns [Transfermarkt].
Therefore, even though Clement would undoubtedly prefer it if his medical team discovered a secret recipe to get the midfield player out of the treatment area, it will undoubtedly be more difficult said than done.
Since taking over at Ibrox, the manager has been trying to find a way to address the team’s never-ending injury list. He has been vocal about the issue since the end of October, when he suggested using cryochambers [Scottish Sun, October 31], but he hasn’t had much luck.
That won’t inspire optimism that he can work with Jack specifically before a decision about a contract needs to be made, since Clement acknowledges that no talks have taken place until the player reaches a “good level” of health.
The 49-year-old stated, “It’s not taken place because he’s just back,” alluding to the possibility of an overseas retirement. We should talk about it sometime in the next weeks. It won’t be a conversation right now as I’m not thinking about it.
“I understand that because I was a member of my national team as well. It was also really essential to me to represent my nation. During a certain point in my career, I also made the decision to quit. We’ll see.
“I must carefully consider when to have the conversation. It might potentially happen after the Euros. We’ll see. Priority one should be given to ensuring that we can raise him to a level where he can play consistently and without difficulty. That is what has to be done first.
There’s obviously not much time left on that front, and although John Lundstram can probably justify a new contract by being available every week, it is more difficult to imagine Clement wanting to lock up a percentage of his salary in someone he can’t use, as is undoubtedly the case with Kemar Roofe.
The Jamaican international is arguably the finest finisher Rangers have after the summer renovation, but like Jack, he just can’t stay healthy, therefore it’s likely that he’ll leave when his contract expires.
Despite suffering from several injuries during his time with the Rangers, the 31-year-old has always been able to score goals when he is in the game.
He missed almost the whole season last year, and his performance this term has only somewhat improved, so it’s unlikely that an extension will be warranted.
The writing appears to be on the wall for both Jack and Roofe, barring an unexpected turnaround, as Clement has expressed his dissatisfaction with this exact issue on several occasions.
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