Youssef Chermiti Injury Hits Rangers Hard

Youssef Chermiti’s Rangers season lies in ruins, and the timing could hardly be crueller.

The 22-year-old striker faces a long spell out after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage in Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat by Hibernian, an injury that came just hours after Rangers had rejected a substantial bid for him.

One moment he was chasing another ball into the box. The next, he was a crumpled figure behind Raphael Sallinger’s goal, having collided with the advertising boards after a heavy challenge. His arm shot up immediately, a desperate signal for help. His afternoon was over on the spot. Now the club can only hope his season is not.

Rangers later confirmed on social media that Chermiti “will be out of action for a significant period of time”, a phrase that tends to accompany only the most serious diagnoses. With cruciate damage, there are rarely quick fixes.

A record buy, lost at a pivotal moment

Chermiti arrived at Ibrox from Everton in September 2025, reportedly becoming Rangers’ most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo in 2000. It was a statement deal, a forward brought in to spearhead a new era and justify a hefty price tag.

He had begun to do just that. Capped at under-21 level by Portugal, the centre forward has made 43 appearances for Rangers, 30 of them starts, scoring 15 goals. Not yet the finished article, but clearly a central pillar in Derek McInnes’ plans.

All of which made Sunday’s backdrop even more dramatic. On the very day Rangers turned down what was reported to be a £22m offer for the striker, he suffered the injury that will now keep him out for months.

At Monday’s shareholders’ meeting, chairman Andrew Cavenagh was pressed on whether it had been wise to risk Chermiti with such interest swirling.

“Just because someone lobs an unsolicited offer in on one sheet of paper, you don't yank a player from a really important match,” the American replied, a blunt defence of the club’s stance.

Before kick-off against Hibs, McInnes had been asked about reports that Turkish champions Galatasaray were the club behind the bid. Speaking to BBC Scotland, he made it clear Rangers were in no mood to sell.

“I'm led to believe the club's valuation of the player hasn't been met,” he said. “It's no surprise that he's a player who's got a big (price) tag on him and he's got high potential, but thankfully he's our player and that will continue to be the case.

“We’re trying to build a team here at the minute and we're trying to still bring additions to the team that helps us add to the good players that we've got, including Youssef. So it's not something we would encourage at any point.”

The board had a straight choice: bank a huge fee and leave him out, or reject the “unsolicited” offer and play him in a key league game. They chose the latter. If they could turn back time, the conversation in the Ibrox boardroom might sound very different.

McInnes’ early tenure tested

For McInnes, still in the early days of his reign, this feels like a test of fate as much as strategy. A new manager needs his main striker fit, firing and available. Instead, he must now reshape his attack on the fly.

From the main stand at Ibrox, the severity of the moment was obvious. As soon as Chermiti hit the ground behind the goal, the wince in the stands was almost collective. A cruciate injury is, by definition, serious. The club’s early admission that he will miss a “significant period” underlines the gravity.

Rangers’ lack of cutting edge was already a concern. Now it becomes a problem that needs an urgent solution.

Cavenagh has promised “three to five” new signings before the window closes. That pledge will be music to McInnes’ ears, but it may now need to include a striker capable of leading the line immediately, not just adding depth.

Lawrence Shankland has yet to ignite his Rangers career. Ryan Naderi, so far, has not looked like the answer to the team’s current shortage of goals. Bojan Miovski remains on the books but has yet to play a competitive minute under the new manager.

McInnes had turned to Chermiti in both of the past two matches, trusting his movement, presence and growing influence. That option has gone, in an instant.

Next up is Jagiellonia Bialystok in Europa League qualifying, a tie that already carried significance for McInnes and his remodelled side. Now it arrives with an added edge. Rangers must find goals from somewhere else, and fast, without the striker they had built their plans around – and just after they chose to keep him.