Frank McAvennie believes that Filip Helander will be a big miss for Glasgow Rangers as he recovers following his positive coronavirus test.

Gers to miss Helander

The £1.44m-valued Sweden international (Transfermarkt) is unavailable to play against Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday after his positive test emerged last week.

Talking to Football Insider, McAvennie believes that the central defender will be missed by Steven Gerrard, but he has the squad to replace him. He said:

"He will be a miss for them because he has been tremendous this season.

"That whole team looks as if they have been worked on, back to front. They have put the hours in on the training ground and it shows, especially in the defence.

"Helander has been a stalwart and a big part of that success but when someone comes into the side they seem to slot in perfectly.

"The system stays the same, even if someone is injured. They work their socks off in training. Rangers keep it simple. It is so noticeable that they are a team.

"Steven Gerrard and Gary McAllister have done very well."

Should be able to cope

Gerrard would obviously prefer not to have players out at the moment as we enter a hectic December schedule - the Ibrox outfit will play nine times this month. However, the nature of Helander's issue is short-term, and as soon as he tests negative and has finished his two-week self-isolation, he will once again be available.

In the meantime, Gerrard can rely on Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun to steer the ship. Both have appeared on a number of occasions so far this season, and the Gers still have a stellar defensive record, conceding just nine times in 23 matches. As the Gers look to book their spot in the Europa League round of 32 against Liege, the boss will have plenty of confidence in the players at his disposal.

In other news, this Rangers star has been tipped to leave the club.