Rangers Suffer Fresh Injury Blow as Daisuke Yokota Ruled Out Against St Mirren
Rangers have suffered another injury setback ahead of their Scottish Premiership meeting with St Mirren, with summer signing Daisuke Yokota ruled out of the match after picking up a groin problem.
The Japanese winger has become an important part of manager Derek McInnes’ plans in recent weeks, particularly on the right side of Rangers’ attacking formation. His absence therefore represents another selection headache for the Rangers boss at a time when the club is preparing for a demanding run of fixtures.
McInnes confirmed that Yokota had sustained the injury and would not be available for the St Mirren match at Ibrox. The news adds to an increasingly concerning injury situation within the Rangers squad.
Yokota’s injury comes at an unfortunate time for both the player and the club. The 26-year-old had been gaining an increasingly prominent role in McInnes’ 4-2-3-1 system. His pace, movement and ability to operate from the flank have provided Rangers with another attacking option.
The timing of the injury is particularly significant because Rangers have a number of important matches approaching. After facing St Mirren, the club is preparing for an Old Firm meeting with Celtic, making the availability of key players increasingly important.
It remains unclear whether Yokota will recover in time to feature against Celtic. While his absence from the St Mirren game has been confirmed, there has been no indication that the groin problem will necessarily keep him out for an extended period. Rangers will therefore have to monitor his recovery closely over the coming days.
Yokota is not the only concern for McInnes. Rangers are already dealing with injuries to several important players. Captain Lawrence Shankland is facing a significant spell on the sidelines, while Youssef Chermiti is also unavailable. Tuur Rommens has returned to light training but is not expected to be ready for the immediate fixtures.
The growing injury list could force McInnes to make changes to his attacking and midfield options. The Rangers manager will need to find a way to maintain the team’s recent momentum despite the absence of several players.
There is, however, some positive news. New signing Badredine Bouanani could be involved against St Mirren, giving Rangers another attacking option. The club has also been able to call upon players such as Kevin Kelsy and Ryan Naderi as McInnes looks to cope with the reduced availability of his squad.
Rangers enter the St Mirren fixture looking to continue their recent improvement after a difficult start to the campaign. The team has won its last three matches, and McInnes will be determined to keep that momentum going.
Yokota’s absence is therefore an unwanted development. Rangers will hope that his injury is relatively minor and that he can return soon, particularly with the first Old Firm clash of the season approaching.
For now, however, the Japanese winger will watch from the sidelines as Rangers take on St Mirren, while the club waits for further updates on his recovery.
