False alarm over Super Eagles star Balogun as Glasgow Rangers boss provides squad update

Providing a squad update ahead of Glasgow Rangers' Premiership meeting with Hearts, manager of the Light Blues Steven Gerrard has suggested that Leon Balogun will be fine to make his eleventh appearance of the season in all competitions.

The central defender was replaced in the 74th minute of Nigeria's 2-0 win over Central African Republic in a 2022 World Cup qualifier last weekend and the initial report was that it was an injury-enforced substitution.

Concerns over the availability of Balogun for Saturday's fixture versus Hearts were a false alarm and Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr hinted as much post-match, saying that the players don't have any big injuries despite the rough tactics of the opposition, meaning it was a precautionary substitution.

Gerrard confirmed at Friday morning's pre-match press conference that the likes of Balogun, Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey are fit to face Hearts after their international commitments.

In quotes relayed by Daily Record, the former Liverpool captain said : "All the International players have returned fit and healthy and having spoken to Kemar he appears all good also.

"We have a fantastic medical and sports science team who make contact with the countries and players after each game for their welfare mentally and physically as we have a duty of care."

Balogun netted his first international goal against Central African Republic in Douala, more than seven years after he made his Super Eagles debut in a 2014 pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel