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Attendance: 47,583
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Scottish Premiership | Gameweek 17
Jan 29, 2020 at 7.45pm UK
 
Ross County

2-0

Defoe (41'), Arfield (47')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Steven Gerrard praises Alfredo Morelos response to car incident

Steven Gerrard praises Alfredo Morelos response to car incident
© Reuters
Rangers beat Ross County 2-0.

Steven Gerrard has praised Alfredo Morelos for keeping his mind on the job after the Rangers striker called in police after discovering a man "tampering" with his car.

Police Scotland has removed the Colombian's Lamborghini sports car for "examination" after Morelos allegedly discovered someone lurking underneath it on Tuesday night.

Reports claim the 23-year-old chased off the suspect but Gerrard was pleased to see his top-scorer keep his focus as he returned to action against Ross County following a three-game ban.

Morelos started the 2-0 win on the bench as the Light Blues took no chances with a nagging calf complaint and was only denied a late goal by Staggies keeper Nathan Baxter.

"I haven't had a chance to speak to Alfredo as I was only made aware a couple of hours before kick-off," he said.

"But I'm told it's a police investigation now so we'll support that and there's not much I can say on the incident. The good thing is Alfredo's fine. 

"It's a very unfortunate situation and not one that happens to you every day but he's fine because that's the way he is, pretty laid back. 

"He handled the situation extremely well, probably better than I would have done.

"His body and the injury is fine which is the most important thing for me and he's fine in himself and he'll be ready for the weekend. 

"The kid gets some stick but the type of stuff he has to put up with is part and parcel of being a top footballer but he handles himself pretty well."

While Morelos showed no ill-effects from either his injury or the late-night car drama, there was concern for Gerrard when opening goalscorer Jermain Defoe had to be taken off on a stretcher.

Rangers were looking to bounce back from Sunday's defeat at Tynecastle but again laboured through the first 41 minutes.

That changed when Defoe buried an expert finish and he followed that up two minutes into the second half as he set up Scott Arfield for the second.

But a worried hush fell over Ibrox on the hour mark when he slumped to the turf with a calf injury.

Gerrard is hopeful the injury will not keep the veteran out for too long but admits he may need to go into the transfer market before Friday's deadline in search of extra cover.

Gerrard – whose side remain five points behind Celtic with a game in hand – said: "I'm concerned but I don't know how long the injury will keep him out.

"I don't think it's as bad as going off on a stretcher makes it look. He's walking about in the dressing room.

"He'll be scanned in the next 24 hours and we'll know more about it then. But he has got a calf injury – whether it will be a week, two weeks, three or four weeks, I don't know.

"I haven't spoken to our sporting director Ross Wilson about the transfer situation yet. We have a couple of things brewing besides that."

Defeat at Ibrox came just four days after County slumped 3-0 at Celtic Park but co-manager Stuart Kettlewell says his side will quickly turn their focus to Saturday's trip to Rugby Park.

"It's obviously tough," he said. "We knew it was going to be difficult coming here off the back of the effort we put in at Parkhead on Saturday.

"We can't be too negative. We're staying down in Glasgow for the next couple of days to limit the travelling and probably the fight we were looking for would be against Kilmarnock and we have to put all our emphasis into that now."

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General view of Ibrox Stadium, home to Rangers, from May 2015
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
1Celtic330087285987
2RangersRangers320179275281
3Hearts311149371266
4Kilmarnock31114538755
5St Mirren31024247-546
6Dundee30034662-1641
Relegation Group
1Aberdeen33004149-844
2Motherwell32015554143
3Hibernian31024858-1042
4Ross County31023564-2933
5St Johnstone30032652-2631
RLivingston32012764-3724
 
First Phase
1Celtic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
RLivingston3339212259-3718


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