Rangers have been handed a significant setback after the club confirmed that striker Youssef Chermiti will miss a substantial spell of action following anterior cruciate ligament damage.
The 22-year-old Portuguese forward was stretchered off during Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox, compounding what was already a deeply frustrating afternoon for head coach Derek McInnes and the home supporters.
Chermiti had started the match and looked lively in the early stages. He appeared to be causing real problems for the Hibernian defence with his movement and directness before his involvement was cut short by a collision near the advertising boards.
The sight of the young striker being carried from the pitch on a stretcher immediately raised concerns among the Ibrox crowd, who had watched their side struggle for fluency throughout the contest.
The injury arrives at a particularly sensitive moment for both the player and the club. In the build-up to the Hibernian fixture, Rangers had firmly rejected a sizeable offer for Chermiti. That decision underlined just how highly the hierarchy valued the forward and the important role they expected him to play under McInnes this season.
Turning down interest of that magnitude signalled clear intent: the club saw Chermiti as a long-term asset rather than a player available for sale.
In the immediate aftermath of the match there had been cautious hope that the damage might prove relatively minor. Chermiti left Ibrox wearing a protective boot, with his knee supported by a brace.
Those early visual signs offered a degree of reassurance that the injury, while serious enough to end his afternoon, might not keep him out for an extended period. Unfortunately, subsequent medical assessments have confirmed the worst fears.
Rangers released an official statement revealing that Chermiti has suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage and will be “out of action for a significant period of time.” The confirmation represents a major blow for McInnes, who has already found it difficult to extract consistent performances from his attacking options during the opening weeks of his tenure at the club.
Chermiti arrived at Rangers from Everton in September 2025 in a deal reported to be worth up to £10 million. He quickly settled into life in Glasgow and established himself as an important member of the squad. Last season the Portugal Under-21 international produced an impressive return of 15 goals and five assists across all competitions. Those numbers not only justified the original investment but also pushed his market value considerably higher.
The club’s internal valuation of the striker had risen beyond the initial outlay, with many at Ibrox believing the young forward possessed the potential to develop into one of the most valuable assets in the squad. That belief explains why Rangers were so reluctant to entertain the recent approach for his services. Keeping hold of Chermiti was viewed as a statement of ambition as much as a football decision.
Speaking in the aftermath of the defeat to Hibernian, McInnes made no attempt to hide his disappointment at losing the player midway through the contest. “Disappointed for the big fella that he has to come off on a stretcher,” the Rangers manager said. “I thought he was looking bright and running gaps. He played with a bit of purpose and there’s no doubt we missed that, but he’s left in a boot and his knee in a brace.”
McInnes also took the opportunity to stress how highly the club rate the striker. “It’s no surprise that he’s a player who’s got a big tag on him and he’s got high potential, but thankfully he’s our player and that will continue to be the case.” Those words now carry a different weight. While Chermiti remains a Rangers player, his absence will be felt for many months as he embarks on the lengthy rehabilitation process that follows an ACL injury.
The timing of the news could scarcely be worse. Rangers have collected just one point from their opening two Scottish Premiership matches and are still searching for a first competitive victory under McInnes. The narrow defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox exposed a lack of cutting edge in the final third and underlined the need for greater quality and depth in attacking areas.
Even before Chermiti’s injury, the club had been working on additions in wide areas in an effort to improve the supply line to the strikers. That search has now taken on greater urgency. With one of their most promising forwards set to miss a significant portion of the campaign, the pressure on the recruitment department has increased markedly. McInnes must now decide whether his current attacking options can shoulder the extra responsibility or whether another forward needs to be secured before the transfer window shuts.
For Chermiti himself, the coming months will be devoted entirely to recovery. The young striker had entered the new season carrying significant expectations after his productive first campaign in Scotland. His progress has been halted abruptly, and the focus will switch from goalscoring form to the painstaking work of rebuilding strength and confidence in the damaged knee.
ACL injuries are never straightforward. Even with modern surgical techniques and carefully structured rehabilitation programmes, the road back to full fitness is long and often mentally demanding. Rangers will provide every resource available to support Chermiti through the process, but there are no shortcuts. The club will hope he can eventually return to the levels that made him such a highly regarded figure at Ibrox.
In the shorter term, McInnes faces the challenge of finding solutions without one of his key attacking threats. The remaining strikers and attacking midfielders will be asked to step up, while any new arrivals will be expected to contribute immediately. The early weeks of the season have already tested the new manager’s ability to adapt. Losing Chermiti for a prolonged period raises the bar still further.
Supporters will understandably feel the disappointment. Chermiti had shown enough in his first season to suggest he could become a central figure in the side for years to come. Watching him leave the pitch on a stretcher, followed by the subsequent confirmation of serious ligament damage, has left many fans at Ibrox feeling the weight of another significant setback.
Rangers must now regroup. The official statement has made the reality clear: Chermiti will be absent for a significant period. How the club responds on the pitch and in the transfer market will go a long way towards determining whether this injury proves to be a temporary disruption or a more lasting blow to their ambitions this season.
For now, the priority remains the player’s recovery. The club, the manager and the supporters will all be hoping that when Youssef Chermiti eventually returns, he can pick up where he left off and continue the promising trajectory that first convinced Rangers to invest in him.