Gary McAllister has admitted that Ryan Kent could miss two matches following his red card in the Veolia Trophy match against Lyon on Thursday.
The Gers beat Les Gones 2-0 in the pre-season tournament’s opening match, but unfortunately for Steven Gerrard, Kent was sent off for raising his hands to an opposing player’s face. As such, if the referee decides to report the incident to the French FA for violent conduct, the Ibrox outfit could be without him for the next two competitive matches.
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McAllister spoke about the situation after the match, and he said:
“He’s wounded in the dressing room and he knows he made a big mistake. You just can’t lift your hands.
“He’s only two feet away from the referee and it was a bad decision. It is a friendly tournament but you want it to be competitive. The referee could have handled it a bit better.
“There were a few scuffles. Yes, Ryan was provoked but you can’t rise to it. It’s especially frustrating because the manager has spoken a lot about our discipline.
“But it’s not something that when you look at Ryan you think he’s got a problem with.
“It would be a blow because he’s a key player for us. He brings that speed and intensity to our front line, so he’s a big player for us.”
It was silly from Kent, but you feel it would be harsh for him to miss matches in the Scottish Premiership or other competitions as a result. At the end of the day, this is just a friendly match – unless he had done something truly horrific, there is no need to make matters worse.
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Still, McAllister and Gerrard should be slightly worried about the temperament of their player – this is not the first time he has been in trouble for raising his hands to an opponent. They cannot afford this type of behaviour if they are to win a first piece of silverware since 2011 next term.
Let us know what you think below!
