Steven Gerrard isolation update as Rangers boss assesses squad for St Johnstone clash

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has ended his period of self-isolation and is set to return to the dugout in Perth on Saturday.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is expected to return to the technical area for Saturday's match against St Johnstone following his period in self-isolation. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Gerrard missed his team’s last two games before the current international break, away to Alashkert and at home to Celtic, amid the return of positive Covid-19 tests at the Scottish champions.

The former Liverpool and England captain has posted social media images of himself with friends and family this week and is now expected to be back at the helm for Rangers when they resume their Premiership title defence against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

Gerrard will be assessing his squad as several players return from international duty but already knows he will be without playmaker Ianis Hagi who has tested positive for Covid-19 while with Romania.

Rangers captain James Tavernier, who also missed the Alashkert and Celtic matches because of coronavirus, has returned to training and may be back in contention for the game against Saints amid concern over his fellow right-back Nathan Patterson who was forced to withdraw from the Scotland squad for Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Austria in Vienna because of injury.

Others who were absent recently included senior goalkeepers Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin - which saw Robby McCrorie pitched in and keep clean sheets against both Alashkert and Celtic - and left-back Calvin Bassey.

Saturday could see a Rangers debut for Juninho Bacuna, the Curacao international midfielder who was signed from Huddersfield Town towards the end of the summer transfer window and was an unused sub in the Old Firm victory.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.