Rangers´ injuries compound shock of Euro loss

Rangers’ despair over their dramatic Champions League loss to unheralded Romanian side Unirea Urziceni here at Ibrox was increased on Wednesday by news of injuries to Pedro Mendes and Madjid Bougherra.

The duo will both miss at least the next two games and there are concerns Portuguese playmaker Mendes could be out for up to two months.

Mendes was forced off at half-time at Ibrox here on Tuesday with a suspected knee injury after giving Rangers the lead in a match the Scottish champions eventually lost by a humbling 4-1 margin.

Algeria defender Bougherra, who missed Tuesday’s match, will also have his knee scanned on Thursday.

Defeat left Rangers’ hopes of qualifying for the second stage hanging by a thread.

And while the Ibrox faithful may accept European reverses at the hands of Ajax and Juventus, not to mention last month’s loss to Sevilla, losing to a Unirea side celebrating their first win in major continental football was something else.

Nacho Novo, who joined Rangers from Dundee in 2004, said Tuesday’s loss was his worst moment since arriving at Ibrox and the Spanish forward sympathised with home fans who jeered Walter Smith’s side at full-time.

“It was as disappointing a night as I’ve had as a Rangers player, definitely,” Novo said. “It is one of the worst results in Europe.

“Obviously, it is disappointing for the fans and they have always been 100 percent for us.

“We haven’t been performing for them so we need to see what is the problem then battle in the next game.

“We started well, scored the early goal but it was disappointing after that and we have to look at ourselves.”

Novo added: “We need to keep going and everybody has to work harder.”

Rangers, despite being on top of the Scottish Premier League, have secured just one point in the Champions League so far this season, courtesy of a draw in Germany against Stuttgart on matchday one, making next month’s return against Unirea vital to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.