Youssef Chermiti's Injury and Its Impact on Rangers
Youssef Chermiti’s season has been thrown into doubt by serious anterior cruciate ligament damage, suffered on the very day Rangers turned down a sizeable bid for their leading striker.
The 22-year-old Portuguese forward crashed into the advertising boards during Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat to Hibernian, after a heavy challenge sent him tumbling beyond Raphael Sallinger’s goal. He stayed down, arm raised, demanding help. One look told its own story. His match was over. His campaign may not be far behind.
Rangers later confirmed on social media that Chermiti “will be out of action for a significant period of time”, the kind of phrase that usually comes with a wince from medical staff and supporters alike when cruciate damage is involved.
A Costly Collision On A Costly Day
The timing could scarcely be more brutal. Chermiti, signed from Everton in September 2025 in a deal that reportedly made him Rangers’ most expensive buy since Tore Andre Flo in 2000, has grown into a central figure at Ibrox. Capped at under-21 level by Portugal, he has delivered 15 goals in 43 appearances, starting 30 of those matches and carrying the sort of presence in the box that managers build game plans around.
On Sunday, he was also the subject of a major transfer storyline. A substantial bid, reported to be around £22m, had landed on the boardroom table. The club said no.
By Monday’s shareholders’ meeting, the decision to play him against Hibs was under the microscope. Chairman Andrew Cavenagh was asked directly whether it had been wise to risk such a valuable asset with interest swirling.
His answer was blunt: “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 risk, taken in the name of ambition and competitive integrity, now comes with a heavy emotional and sporting price. If the board could rewind 48 hours, the question is whether Chermiti would ever have left the dressing room.
Galatasaray Interest And A Manager’s Dilemma
Before a ball was kicked on Sunday, Derek McInnes had already been drawn into the transfer narrative. Reports in Turkey had linked Galatasaray with Chermiti, and the Rangers manager was asked about it live on BBC Scotland.
“I’m led to believe the club’s valuation of the player hasn’t been met,” he said. The message was clear: the offer was big, but not big enough.
“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.”
Those words, spoken with the confidence of a manager planning to lean heavily on his centre forward, now hang over the early weeks of McInnes’ reign. On the very day Rangers turned down a fortune for Chermiti, the striker suffered an injury that will keep him out for months.
From the main stand at Ibrox, BBC Sport Scotland’s Kheredine Idessane watched the incident unfold and “winced” as Chermiti crumpled behind the goal. The forward’s immediate distress, the raised arm, the urgent medical response – it all pointed to something far worse than a knock. The club’s confirmation of cruciate damage has now removed any lingering hope of a quick return.
McInnes’ Attack Under Scrutiny
For a manager still trying to stamp his identity on a new dressing room, this is the nightmare scenario. Rangers’ attack was already a talking point. Now it becomes a problem that demands a solution.
Lawrence Shankland has yet to get his Rangers career going. The goals that flowed elsewhere have not arrived at Ibrox. Ryan Naderi, another option in the forward line, has not convinced as the answer to the side’s current shortage of cutting edge. Bojan Miovski remains on the books, but has yet to play a competitive minute under McInnes.
Chermiti, by contrast, had started the last two matches, trusted to lead the line and provide the physical and technical focal point around which others could work. With him, Rangers looked like they had a reference point. Without him, they look like a puzzle missing its central piece.
The pressure now falls squarely on recruitment and coaching. Cavenagh has already promised “three to five” new faces before the window closes, a pledge that will sound even sweeter to McInnes after Sunday’s events. A new striker may no longer be a luxury; it feels like a necessity.
European Stakes, Early Questions
There is no time for Rangers to feel sorry for themselves. Jagiellonia Bialystok await in Europa League qualifying, and the margins in continental ties are rarely kind to teams still searching for goals and rhythm.
McInnes must find a way to navigate that challenge without the forward he had earmarked as his main weapon. Tactical tweaks, a reshaped front line, perhaps a fast-tracked signing – all are now on the table.
Chermiti’s injury strips Rangers of their most valuable striker on and off the pitch. It also sharpens the scrutiny on every decision made in the boardroom and the dugout in the coming weeks.
Rangers gambled by keeping him on Sunday. Now they have to live with the consequences, and find out whether their season can still be built without the man they refused to sell.
