Steven Gerrard can start to feel some sympathy for the string of Liverpool managers who repeatedly spent a week or so worrying when he was on international duty with England.
The ‘FIFA Virus’, as the Spanish press dub the international break, can frustrate clubs and see players return with fresh injuries or having made existing issues worse, and Gerrard won’t want that at Rangers this month.
Therefore he’ll be keeping a close eye on the situation of Borna Barisic.
Impressing at times for Croatia during the last international break, Barisic will have been looking forward to this one, and Rangers fans have probably been keen to see him in action against England in the UEFA Nations League.
However, that seems an unlikely outcome, with Croatia’s manager explaining the player isn’t fit, so he probably won’t make it for that match.
Quoted by Vecernji List, Zlatko Dalić said: “The situation isn’t good, Marcelo Brozovic didn’t play on Sunday for Inter through injury, Borna Barisic has a muscle rupture… This is the current situation, and in a few hours I will know who we will count on and whether I will call new players.”
If there is a serious issue then Steven Gerrard will likely prefer his man back at Rangers.
