Former Scottish top flight star Stephen Craigan does not think Rangers boss Steven Gerrard will have been thinking about signing a new centre-back this summer before Nikola Katic picked up an injury. 

Rangers have been rocked by an injury to Katic, who is set to miss the remainder of 2020 and Gerrard's defensive options have been depleted.

 



Gerrard has just three senior centre-backs in the shape of Connor Goldson, George Edmundson and Filip Helander and speculation persists over whether he will dip into the transfer market with Katic out.

Former Motherwell star Craigan does not feel that a new centre-back would have even entered into Gerrard's thinking before the blow to Katic.
 


He wrote in his Belfast Telegraph column: "The 22-year-old Croatian central defender will be out until the New Year, and with the new Scottish Premiership season just around the corner, it leaves Gerrard with a dilemma; does he trust the three centre-halves available to him – Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and George Edmundson – until Katic's return, or does he use up vital transfer funds to sign a replacement?



"Rangers will have targets in various positions, of that there's no doubt, but a new central defender wouldn't have been in his thinking", Craigan added.

Gerrard has time to mull over his situation and will see his Rangers team in action next week in a mini-tournament in France.
 

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Rangers are taking part in the Trophee Veolia in France, with games against Lyon on 16th July and Nice on 18th July.

They will then head back to Scotland, where they play Motherwell at Ibrox and then welcome Coventry City.