Nicolas Raskin injury update as fellow Rangers midfielder ‘set to return to full training’ in major boost

Rangers manager Philippe Clement is set to be handed an injury boost with luckless midfielder Tom Lawrence reportedly nearing a return to full training - but Nicolas Raskin’s situation remains uncertain.

Welsh international Lawrence, who hasn’t featured for the Ibrox club since picking up a knock in the narrow Europa League win over Real Betis in September, has been plagued by injury setbacks since moving to Govan last summer.

A serious knee problem kept him out of action for a year and the 29-year-old then suffered more misfortune when he was substituted against the Spanish outfit only a matter of weeks after recovering from the long-term ACL injury.

Former Gers boss Michael Beale initially stated Lawrence’s latest issue was just cramp and that he would only miss a couple of games. However, the injury was more serious than expected and the playmaker is yet to make a comeback after more than a month on the sidelines.

Now the Rangers Review claim Lawrence is stepping up his recovery and is ‘poised’ to return to full first-team training for the first time under Clement, with the players ‘set to push for a recall to the matchday squad over the upcoming fixtures’.

Clement previously raised concerns over how many players were visiting the club’s treatment table, with Nicolas Raskin the latest star to do so after being stretched off in the second half against Hearts on Sunday.

Providing an update on Raskin’s condition, Clement said: “I didn’t see him yet so we need to make a proper assessment about that this evening or tomorrow with the doctors in hospital. I hope that it is now too bad because he has been important in the last couple of weeks and is a player with a lot of potential.”

Lawrence’s imminent return will provide the Belgian boss with another dimension in attack ahead of a busy upcoming schedule, while Kieran Dowell and Jose Cifuentes were also unused substitutes in the weekend win over the Jambos after shaking off separate injuries.