---
title: "Rangers: Whelan believes Joe Aribo is struggling mentally"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/rangers-gers-ibrox-steven-gerrard-noel-whelan-joe-aribo/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "jonathan radcliffe"
section: "Features"
published: "2021-01-19T14:20:18Z"
modified: "2021-01-19T14:20:18Z"
---

# Rangers: Whelan believes Joe Aribo is struggling mentally

**Noel Whelan believes that Glasgow Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo may not have fully recovered mentally from the ankle injury that kept him on the sidelines for a considerable spell last year.**

### **Aribo struggling mentally**

Aribo was unavailable for seven Premiership matches towards the start of this current campaign ([Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/joe-aribo/leistungsdaten/spieler/468198)). While he did score [three](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/joe-aribo/leistungsdaten/spieler/468198) in his first four upon his return, his more recent displays have come in for [plenty of criticism](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/rangers-fc-news/gers-ibrox-rangers-joe-aribo-old-firm-celtic/) from the Gers supporters.

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Talking to Football Insider, Whelan has suggested that the £3.15m-valued Nigeria international ([Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/joe-aribo/marktwertverlauf/spieler/468198)) is still struggling from the psychological after-effects of the injury. He said:

> *“I think sometimes, after a long spell out, it can take you a while to get back up to speed*
>
> “*Psychologically*, *it can difficult to be very positive and be sure that you won’t get injured again. It is a lot easier said than done.* *Nine times out of 10 it is your head, rather than your body which is the issue.*
>
> *“Look, match fitness takes time. Getting back into the groove again takes time. You can be out for a couple of weeks and it can take time to get up to speed again.*
>
> *“He needs that confidence and belief back. Good players never lose it and he won’t have, mentally he just needs to work harder. It will come back to him.*
>
> *“Once he can overcome that, we will start to see the best of Aribo again.”*

### **Valid point**

Indeed, you can certainly see where Whelan is coming from. While the former Charlton man has played 90 minutes in each of the last [six](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/joe-aribo/leistungsdaten/spieler/468198) matches, he has managed just one assist, and he has struggled to put his stamp on any of his side’s matches in recent weeks.

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Injuries can undoubtedly have a negative impact on players, but Aribo has been back in the side for a number of months now. The time has come for him to stand up and be counted, especially as the Gers enter the business end of the campaign.

***In other news, [Rangers fans hammer this man’s performance against Motherwell.](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/rangers-fc-news/rangers-gers-ibrox-steven-gerrard-ryan-kent-motherwell/)***