Rangers are in exceptional form right now, delighting fans with a series of attacking performances, progressing in the Scottish Cup and closing the gap on Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership season.

Graeme Murty has done an excellent job organising a fresh group of players after a big January transfer window and the Light Blues look as good an outfit as they have for years.

Despite the recent optimism, there’s no doubt that Rangers could improve further and there are two players who could help out significantly – Graham Dorrans and Ross McCrorie.

The duo have both been out for extended periods and a return to the first team could help out massively in the closing stages of the season.

Here’s the lowdown on when fans can expect to see them back in action:

Graham Dorrans

When was he injured: The midfielder limped off with an ankle injury during a 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock in October, way back when Pedro Caixinha was in charge. He later had to undergo surgery in December which extended his absence from the first team.

Potential injury return date: 15/03/2018, according to Transfermarkt.

How important will he be?: Dorrans has actually only made 13 appearances for Rangers since joining last summer, but established himself as a key performer in Caixinha’s struggling Light Blues side. Scoring five goals and providing three assists in that time, he was well on his way towards having an excellent debut season. His return will only enhance the first team, especially if Graeme Murty can help him find his best form.

What the manager has said: “Graham is really unfortunate and I feel for him. On medical advice we took a conservative path with his initial rehab and that didn’t work. He’s had to have ankle surgery and that leads to him having an extended time out. We have to make sure Graham as a person is taken care of and then we’ll take care of the player after that.”

Ross McCrorie

When was he injured?: The young defender collided with an advertising board against Ross County in December and had to be substituted off with a foot injury. Initially receiving injections and recovering to play more matches before the end of the year, the problem was aggravated during the Gers’ Florida training camp in January and he’s been missing ever since.

Potential injury return date: 22/03/2018, as reported by The Scottish Sun.

Has he been missed? McCrorie has been one of the success stories of Rangers’ season, winning plaudits from supporters even when the team as a whole was under-performing. Now they’re improving, his return would be a massive boost to Graeme Murty, who knows the player well from his time coaching the U20s side. Whether in defence alongside Russell Martin or bolstering the midfield he’s a stand-out and more games will only improve the 19-year-old.

What the manager has said: “At the moment, we are just waiting and seeing. The injection was prescribed by the specialist who thought it would clear it up. We are just having to wait and see. What we don’t want to do is rush it. We must make sure we get him back fully healthy. We don’t want to put too much pressure on it and irritate it further by doing too much too soon.”

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