By Saheed Afolabi
Rangers manager Philippe Clement has revealed uncertainty regarding the availability of Nigeria defender Leon Balogun for the upcoming high-stakes derby against Celtic.
The experienced defender has featured in 12 matches for the Light Blues this season but has yet to score for the club.
Clement stated that while Balogun could potentially be included in the squad for the crucial clash against their fierce rivals, the club is prioritizing caution in his recovery.
“There’s a very, very, very small chance that Leon Balogun can return, we will see. He did some individual work today,” Clement said in a press conference.
The Rangers boss emphasized that while risks are an inherent part of the game, the club is not willing to rush Balogun back before he is fully fit.
“We always take risks, and you have to do it in this business, but it needs to be no crazy risk that players can be out for months. That will not be the case with Leon, but we will see if he’s ready or not,” Clement added.
Rangers currently sit second in the Scottish Premiership standings, with 36 points from 18 matches.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
