Rangers news: Pundit claims senior star "can't handle it"

Rangers may be tempted to sign another striker after Jermain Defoe broke down with another injury.

That is according to ex-Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan, speaking exclusively to Football Insider correspondent Jason Jones after the 37-year-old’s latest problem.

Defoe aggravated a hamstring injury in training at the club’s Auchenhowie headquarterslast week that he had first picked up against Motherwell in pre-season.

The former England spearhead has a contract that runs until 2021 but Whelan has tipped the Light Blues to recruit another striker if, as expected, Alfredo Morelos leaves by the 5 October transfer cut-off.

“That’s probably why they brought in Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten, and they’re looking at other strikers coming in before the end of transfer window, if Morelos does go,” Whelan told Football Insider.

“If you could get a fit Jermaine Defoe for three quarters of that season they’d be up there challenging to the end.

“He’s the kind of player that can win you championships but you’ve got to keep him fit. It’s difficult to do that when you get those little niggles.”

“I’ve got nothing but admiration for Jermain Defoe. He’s been one of the best strikers in the Premier League for a number of years.

“Sometimes, when you start picking up these injuries it’s your body telling you, it’s the wear and tear from the games you’ve played over your career is catching up with you.

“That intensity that you need to play football, sometimes your body can’t handle it and that’s the problem when you come to the back end of your career.

“It is worrying because we’ve seen what a quality player he is. In pre-season he was banging in the goals and looked very sharp.

Since joining the club on loan in January 2018, Defoe has scored 25 goals in 52 games for the light blues.

In other news, Football Insider can reveal Rangers have accepted a six-figure bid for big name.