Daniel Cousin waits for SPL ruling on Rangers eligibility

DANIEL Cousin was last night still waiting to discover if his proposed second spell as a Rangers player will be aborted after the SPL failed to reach a decision on his eligibility to sign for the Scottish champions.

The Gabon international striker agreed a deal to rejoin Rangers until the end of the season last Friday, but international clearance was not received in time for him to be involved in the SPL fixture at Dunfermline the following day.

Rangers formally announced his signing on Monday this week and lodged their application to register him with the SPL, 24 hours before they were forced into administration following the court battle with HMRC.

In addition to the automatic 10-point deduction imposed on Rangers by the SPL, the insolvency event also triggered a ban on signing any new players. Rangers remain keen to go through with the recruitment of Cousin, however, and contend that he was effectively signed before they went into administration.

The SPL board of directors considered the matter yesterday but did not make a ruling. A spokesperson indicated they will do so within the next 48 hours. For Cousin to play for Rangers against Kilmarnock at Ibrox on Saturday, his registration with the SPL must be formally completed before 5pm on Friday.

Cousin, who spent just over a year at Rangers after joining them from French club Lens for £750,000 in August 2007, is understood to have other options in English football if his move back to Ibrox is blocked.

While Rangers manager Ally McCoist remains keen to see the deal for the 35-year-old front man completed, it could be regarded as expendable by club administrators Duff and Phelps as they look for the most obvious cost-cutting measures.

Despite the relatively upbeat statement released by Duff and Phelps last night, there is considerable anxiety and uncertainty among the Rangers players who will meet with PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart at the club’s Murray Park training ground today.

Rangers captain Steven Davis has been in contact with union boss Wishart, himself a former player of the Ibrox club, who will explain the legal position of anyone faced with the prospect of redundancy during administration.

In a meeting with the players on Tuesday, Rangers owner Craig Whyte informed them they would receive their salaries as scheduled this month.

It remains to be seen how administration affects the club’s playing staff. The highest earners, such as Davis and goalkeeper Allan McGregor, could be targeted. Six players who are out of contract at the end of June – Sasa Papac, David Healy, Sone Aluko, Salim Kerkar, Andrew Little and the still to be ratified Cousin – present an obvious option if the administrators look to cut the squad.

The administrators could also seek special dispensation from the football authorities to sell any players attracting interest outwith the transfer window. Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has been linked with a move for Lee Wallace, while Burnley have been credited with an interest in taking Kyle Lafferty back to Turf Moor.