Alfredo Morelos puts out cryptic Instagram post after being axed from Rangers squad

Alfredo Morelos will not be part of the Rangers squad to face PSV.

The 26-year-old striker was sent off at the weekend during the 2-2 draw with Hibs in the cinch Premiership for an elbow on Marijan Cabraja, leaving his team-mates down to nine men following an earlier red card for John Lundstram, and it is understood that Morelos’ act of recklessness, along with concerns over his attitude and fitness, have forced manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst to act.

The Colombian will therefore stay in Glasgow while the rest of the team are in Eindhoven trying to reach the group stages of the Champions League following a 2-2 draw in the first leg at Ibrox.

Rangers had also been in discussions with Morelos about extending his contract, which expires next summer, but it is being reported that those talks are now on hold.

Morelos was sidelined from March until the summer by thigh surgery and while he has been part of the Rangers squad this season, first-team starts have been scarce due to the form of Antonio Colak, who was signed in July from PAOK. The Croatian has scored four goals for the club already and is Van Bronckhorst’s first-choice pick in attack.

Given his time on the sidelines, Morelos is lacking conditioning and match fitness, although Van Bronckhorst has been left unimpressed with the player’s efforts to get back into peak physical shape.

It leaves the danger of Rangers and Morelos’ relationship ending on a sour note, with the ex-HJK hitman an integral part of the team from his arrival in 2017 until fairly recently.

For his part, Morelos posted a cryptic post on Instagram not long after the news broke. The quotes on his story, translated from Spanish, read: “The best warrior is not the one who always triumphs but the one who fearlessly returns to battle.”