Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement is finally able to use the majority of his squad as several players have made return from injury over the previous few weeks.
Ridvan Yilmaz has recovered and will be able to start challenging Jefte for a left-back spot, while the likes of Oscar Cortes and Rabbi Matondo could be ready to play before Christmas if everything goes to plan.
Someone who missed the first few months of the campaign is now finally getting a chance in the starting XI, but it wasn’t because of injuries…
Why Ianis Hagi could become a key player for Rangers
During the summer, it looked as though Ianis Hagi was on his way out of Ibrox, but the window closed without any progress on that front, and he remained at the club.
Due to a contractual issue, Hagi didn’t play during the first couple of months of the season, only making his first appearance in October.
He returned with a bang, grabbing an assist against St Johnstone before being sent off, yet the Romanian has shone recently, registering a further two assists against Kilmarnock in the 6-0 demolition at Ibrox.
Clement is finally able to call on a near full-strength team now and Hagi certainly fits into his plans going forward.
Goals
0
Assists
2
Key passes
2
Big chances created
2
Total duels won
0
Dribble attempts (successful)
0(0)
Did the manager sell someone in the summer who is outperforming him, however? Todd Cantwell has looked impressive in recent weeks for Blackburn Rovers.
Todd Cantwell’s season in numbers
The attacking midfielder displayed his Jekyll and Hyde nature last term, and it was clear Clement wasn’t his biggest fan.
Described as a “god-given” talent by his former youth coach at Norwich City, Gary Cockaday, Cantwell was sold during the summer to Blackburn for a fee of just £500k.
Considering he was valued at around £40m just three years previously, it was quite a decline for the player, but it looks as though he has enjoyed his time back in the Championship.
Across 13 matches, the Englishman has registered four goal contributions, one more than Hagi, while also creating five big chances, averaging 1.8 key passes per game and succeeding with 1.1 dribbles per game in the second tier.
In comparison, Hagi has created two big chances in the Premiership, along with averaging 1.4 key passes and succeeding with 0.4 dribbles per game.
It appears as though Cantwell is outperforming his former teammate at the moment. While Clement perhaps didn’t take to the Blackburn star during their time at Ibrox together, selling him for just £500k was a mistake.
He could have remained at the club until January at least, trying to secure as much game time as possible in order to generate a bigger transfer fee for the Light Blues.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
What’s done is done, however, and the former Norwich City starlet is looking revitalised back in the English second tier with Blackburn this season.
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