Rangers secured passage to the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup on Wednesday with a 1-0 win against Livingston.
Glen Kamara’s fifth-minute strike was the difference between the two sides, but it wasn’t all good news for the Gers as Joe Aribo picked up a nasty head injury.
Following a challenge by Livingston’s Ricki Lamie, the former Charlton Athletic man needed 20 stitches in his head and had to be substituted after just 22 minutes of the match.
It now looks as though the 23-year-old could be set for a spell on the sidelines as he recovers, which is a big blow for Rangers.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of their game with Aberdeen at the weekend, Gerrard said: “I spoke to Joe (Aribo) this morning, he is pretty sore and shocked but he is ok. After getting 20 stitches in his head he is ok, the doctors did a fantastic job on him as he was cut all the way to the bone. The doctor will decide in the coming days when he will back.”
Despite insisting that it would be up to the medical staff when he returns, Gerrard did say that he would be “very surprised” if Aribo features again before the next international break. That would mean missing games against Aberdeen and Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership and their Europa League tie against Young Boys.
Remarkably, Lamie did not even get a booking for his challenge on Aribo. Following confirmation on Twitter that he had needed 20 stitches, Rangers fans were not happy that the Livingston player had escaped unpunished. Here is what a few of them have been saying…
@spfl sort it out before someone’s seriously injured. Scandalous “challenge”.
— A’dammer 1872 (@arthur_mac74) September 26, 2019
Assaulted on the park left with 20 stitches and the player involved didn’t even get a yellow card despite jumping into a player leading with the elbow out.
The standards of officials on Scottish football is a joke I’ve seen pub league football with better refs.
— David F Scobie (@DavidFScobie) September 26, 2019
Doctors did a fine job. It’s a shame the same can’t be said about the referee. That’s a red card all day, every day.
— Callum✨ (@xCDMM) September 26, 2019
Cut all the way to the bone and not even a booking!! If I was as bad at my job as some of these referees I’d be sacked
— Pro Indy Gers (@proindygers) September 26, 2019
Disgraceful, the livi guy needs a 10 game ban
— Gavin Blain (@GBlain89) September 26, 2019
It should have been a red for the Livi player it was not an accident
— Davy Young (@torrygillick) September 26, 2019
