boogie might not play on tuesday night

[kevinthomson8 0]

By Kenny MacDonald, 22/11/2009

 

MAJID BOUGHERRA is facing the chop from Rangers' Champions League clash with Stuttgart.

 

The AWOL Algerian World Cup star again failed to turn up as expected before yesterday's 3-0 win over Kilmarnock.

 

Walter Smith has dropped a massive hint he's set to DITCH Madjid Bougherra for Tuesday's make-or-break Champions League game against Stuttgart at Ibrox.

 

The Rangers boss may well keep faith with defensive superkid Danny Wilson.

 

Smith admitted he still hasn't seen or heard from Bougherra, below, following his late return from Algeria's World Cup qualification win against Egypt in Sudan on Wednesday.

 

He expects to see the stopper, who hasn't played for Rangers since September 29, for training at Murray Park today.

 

There was little indication last night that he was intending recalling the defender for the Germans' visit.

 

He said: "He hasn't spoken to anyone but I imagine he's available for Tuesday night.

 

"If he was injured I think he'd have let somebody know.

 

"He'll be in training on Sunday so we'll see how he is then.

 

"The situation as to who plays is a pleasure to deal with.

 

"Danny's a young lad but when he's playing in the manner in which he has been, it's never a problem.

 

"I'm the one who is charged with looking after his career at the present moment and I'll continue to do that. He handled the Champions League game he played in well and there's no great reason why he should not handle another one in exactly the same manner."

 

Kris Boyd, who scored Rangers' opener against Killie, admitted he doesn't know if he'll get the nod for Tuesday despite scoring his eighth goal of the season.

 

He also refused to rule out remaining in international isolation. Boyd said: "I don't know if I'll be part of it on Tuesday but the most important thing for me was to play well and score. If I start on Tuesday, great. If not, I'll prepare myself for hopefully starting against Aberdeen next week.

 

"Like everyone else here, I want to be part of the big European nights and I want to play in big games but I've tasted the other side and I'm used to it.

 

"The Scotland one is a decision I'll have to make in the next couple of months but it could depend on who gets the job.

 

"The next guy might come in and not fancy me but it's not something that's really in my mind at present.

 

"No player is bigger than their country and at the time, the decision I made was right for me. I feel as though I've reaped the benefits at club level.

 

"I'm not ruling out coming back and I'm not ruling out staying retired.

 

"It's a different situation to Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor. They knew they were in the wrong but if they go back it will be to Scotland's benefit. In the meantime I'm enjoying my football for Rangers because I'm playing more or less every week."

 

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies admitted his side shot themselves in the foot. He said: "I don't think we've come to Ibrox and had as much

 

possession as we had today, or worked their goalkeeper the way we did today but the defending in the first half was shocking."

 

Killie captain Kevin Kyle is likely to be out for a couple of weeks after needing stitches in a face wound after being caught by Allan McGregor's boot.

 

Meanwhile it was revealed that Rangers management team have been GAGGED from talking about the club's financial plight. Smith broke the bombshell news three weeks ago that the club was being run by the banks. Lloyds Bank subsequently issued a statement denying that but after Rangers' net debt rocketed to upwards of

 

�£31million, senior management staff were sent letters to forbid them from speaking publicly about the club's financial position.

 

One member of the coaching staff admitted: "We're now under the takeover panel's jurisdiction and we have all received letters from our legal people saying this inhibits us from making further comments."

 

Smith says no decision will be made regarding his Rangers future until the club has a new owner.

 

His current deal ends in January and he had an agreement with former chairman Sir David Murray that he would work on until the end of the season without a new deal.

 

New chairman Alastair Johnston has said he wants Smith to stay but the Gers boss said: "The club is up for sale, so my view is quite simple.

 

"When that takes place we'll be in a far better place to make a decision, not just in the short term but the longer term as well.

 

"I don't think it's the right time to make any kind of decision. When my contract expires in January will be the first time. At that stage, if I'm asked to stay on I'm happy to do so. If I'm not I will leave.

 

"The new chairman and the previous chairman have said they're happy with me being here to handle this situation until it finishes but circumstances at the club could change, that's why it's difficult for anybody to make a decision just now.

 

"There are boys at the club who are out of contract and it has not been possible to make them offers. The management staff are the same.

 

"You just want to wait and see what happens. If there are new owners they might clear the lot of us out. It's not a matter of speculation, that's just the way it's got to be. When the position is rectified will be the time to make a decision but now isn't the time to do that."

[Whosthedado 1,481]

He wouldn't play again for us if I was in charge of team affairs

[gisabeer 409]

i heard a rumour that theres a very good chance that he will never again pull on a light blue jersey.

 

hope its true.

[fraser54 0]

In that article it says Kyle will be out for a few weeks as he got hut with McGregor's boot, wasn't it his hand ? We have showen we can play without Bougherra anyway so i aint that fussed

[maineflyer 0]

It's been so long since he actually played for us that perhaps we should just carry on without him. I still reckon the only future we have is without this kind of foreign import so we'd be as well starting at the earliest opportunity. He did some goood things for us but at the end of the day it was only ever a stepping stone for him. What we desperately need to reach is a point where the youngsters of today have become the experience backbone of tomorrow's team and the platform on which we are regularly introducing new young talent. At least, I can see no other future and I can remember back far enough to know we used to be particularly good at this.