Rangers manager Derek McInnes says the club is moving quickly to sign a replacement striker after Youssef Chermiti was ruled out for an extended spell with a serious knee injury, while also warning that a shortage of defenders has left the team "playing with fire."
Chermiti, 22, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during Saturday's defeat by Hibernian, a blow that came shortly after McInnes revealed the club had turned down an offer for the Portugal Under-21 international. Galatasaray have been linked with the former Everton forward. According to Sky Sports, Chermiti had to leave the stadium in a protective boot and knee brace following the collision, and the same report confirms it was Galatasaray whose big-money bid was rejected before the Hibernian match, with the injury now expected to keep him sidelined for a significant period.
Chermiti will see a specialist in London, with surgery possibly scheduled for next week. He is joined on the injury list by left-back Tuur Rommens, who faces up to eight weeks out with a groin problem picked up in the same fixture.
Rangers face Jagiellonia Bialystok at home on Thursday in the second leg of their Europa League third-round qualifier, trying to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.
Speaking about Chermiti, McInnes said the timing offered a small crumb of comfort given the club still has time to act in the transfer market.
Obviously, really disappointing for ourselves.
Selfishly, he's a big part of what we wanted to do this season and he's obviously a talented boy.
For Youssef himself, obviously he's very young. It'll be difficult for him to accept and understand what's happened to him.
The only saving grace from our point of view as a club is the fact it's happened in a transfer window and we've got the opportunity to react to that.
The plan was for Youssef to stay in. Obviously it was a big number that was reportedly bid for him. I don't know exactly what the figure was. Obviously the club rejected that. It's neither here nor there now, to be honest. It's done.
We are obviously looking at maybe strengthening that area of the pitch. We're trying to be quite proactive with that and seeing what is available. Number nines are normally the most difficult ones to get.
Has Rangers already brought in reinforcements this window?
Yes. Rangers had already signed striker Lawrence Shankland from Hearts earlier in the transfer window, a move that reshaped the club's forward options before Chermiti's injury became a fresh complication. The club also completed the signing of winger Daisuke Yokota from Hannover on a three-year deal with an option for a further year, though the deal remains subject to international clearance and visa checks, according to Football Transfers. That arrival is separate from any move for another forward now being considered in the wake of Chermiti's setback.
Rangers' chairman Andrew Cavenagh had already said he expected three to five more signings before the window closes, a forecast made while the club sat on a single league point and trailed Jagiellonia Bialystok in Europe. Chermiti himself had previously moved to reassure supporters of his commitment to Rangers amid separate transfer interest from Lyon.
Why does McInnes say the defence is 'playing with fire'?
McInnes is pushing to add a left-back following Rommens' injury and says the club is also working to bring in wingers, describing defensive and wide reinforcements as the priority.
Strengthening defensively and in wide areas was the priority.
We don't have a left-footed defender in the building. We're keen to try and get that resolved as quickly as possible.
With the numbers we've got there, we are kind of playing with fire. Defensively, it's always been a bit of a concern. I always thought we were short of numbers there.
We all know what we need but acting really swiftly would help matters.
We're trying to bring wingers in. It's in the hands of the recruitment team to try and get that over the line. Nothing's been finalised with anything yet.
Brentford left-back Jayden Meghoma, 20, has been linked with a second loan spell at Ibrox after featuring for Rangers last season, while PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech has been strongly linked with a permanent move. Rangers had also been reported to be in talks with Coventry City over winger Jahnoah Markelo, part of a broader wave of Scottish transfer activity that has separately seen Celtic preparing a fresh bid for Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis.
Asked specifically about Driouech, McInnes indicated talks had progressed but stopped short of confirming a deal was close.
We've been linked with a lot of players. That one's gained a bit of momentum and we are quite far down the line with that but I don't know where it's at currently. All these things are still ongoing.
Sky Sports reports that Rangers are indeed considering signing another forward following Chermiti's injury and that a move for Driouech is close to completion, a development consistent with McInnes' comments about the club being proactive in the market.
What happens next?
Chermiti is due to consult a specialist in London before any operation, which could take place as early as next week. Meanwhile, Rangers will attempt to overturn their 2-1 first-leg deficit against Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Europa League third-round qualifier on Thursday, 13 August 2026.
- Youssef Chermiti, 22, suffered an ACL injury against Hibernian and faces a lengthy layoff.
- Galatasaray's bid for Chermiti was rejected before the injury occurred.
- Left-back Tuur Rommens is out for up to eight weeks with a groin problem.
- Rangers have already signed Lawrence Shankland and winger Daisuke Yokota this transfer window.
- Rangers host Jagiellonia Bialystok on 13 August 2026 trailing 2-1 from the first leg.
