Rangers star set for surgery as Brendan Rodgers makes surprise selection statement on rarely seen Celtic ace

The Scottish Premiership returns next weekend after Celtic fight for their place in the Scottish Cup final.

The Hoops are up against St Johnstone on Sunday and will face Aberdeen in the final if they make it to the last round.

As we wait for the action to unfold, take a look at the latest players news coming from both the Celtic and Rangers camps.

Rangers star delivers surgery update following new injury setback

Leon Balogun may have played his last game for Rangers as the end of his contract approaches. Decisions need to be made at Ibrox regarding those set to become free agents, and Balogun is one of them. His latest injury setback may also make it difficult for him to feature again this season.

The defender was substituted off in Rangers’ away match against Athletic Bilbao. Following a clash of heads in the second half, Balogun was replaced, and he has since revealed the outcome of the incident in Spain.

“I’ve fractured my cheekbone again. So, it’s the fourth time, I think, in my career,” Balogun told the media after the match.

“I knew it straight away, and I knew that I had to come off with it. I said, ‘Look, if there’s any chance for me to stay on…’ but then the pain normally kicks in like five or ten minutes after, and then it’s no.”

Balogun was asked whether he would be out for the season, but despite not knowing 100 percent just yet, he remains confident it won’t be a big setback.

“No, I don’t think so. We will see how severe but it will probably need a small little surgery, then a few days rest and I can go back on with the mask.”

Brendan Rodgers considered elusive player vs Rangers

Brendan Rodgers has admitted he had been considering playing the rarely seen Dane Murray against Rangers in their latest derby meeting. The two sides locked horns at Parkhead but the Light Blues came out on top of the five-goal thriller.

Fringe defender Maik Nawrocki was given the nod following an unexpected injury to Auston Trusty, and Rodgers was also thinking about Murray. However, the youngster was ruled out after picking up a slight knee problem just before the match.

“Dane Murray was someone I was looking at for the Rangers game and playing,” Rodgers explained on Celtic TV. “The day before the game, he had a wee sort of moment with his knee. So, we're just assessing that and looking at that. So, he'll be out as well. Apart from that, everyone's okay.”