Rangers FC via PA Images A corner flag at Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow.
Rangers left-back Borna Barisic has been declared free from injury by Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic after controversially missing the weekend’s defeat to Celtic.
The 30-year-old defender was subbed off late on in the club’s Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven and garnered criticism from spectators for how eager he was to leave the field.
But, after missing the weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Old Firm rivals Celtic at Ibrox, Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic claims Borna Barisic is now injury-free.
Croatia’s national team will play a double-header against Latvia (H) and Armenia (A) in order to qualify for the tournament in Germany.
“Borna Barisic has had an injury, but the tests we did on him showed that it was nothing serious, and he is fit and available for the games,” Dalic added.
“He’ll be fine.” Because the games are so close together, we don’t have much time to train and prepare. We know what we are capable of, and we will demonstrate it.”
Borna Barisic free from injury for Croatia
Rangers fans will undoubtedly be surprised by the news.
There is a perception of the defender’s soft temperament, and fans believe Borna Barisic used the slight injury as an opportunity to avoid the Euro mauling in the Netherlands.
Rangers manager Michael Beale suggested that Borna Barisic had gotten the all-clear from his injury in time for the encounter against Celtic.
Fans’ annoyance was compounded when the ex-NK Osijek captain was benched for the Old Firm fixture, with Dujon Sterling starting at left-back.
Rangers faced their Old Firm rivals with four right-footed defenders, and the club was defeated 1-0 as a result of more calamitous defence.
