Danilo must be Rangers first pick, he'll prove transfer - Chris Jack

It is fair to say that Michael Beale’s side haven’t given their fans, at home or away, much to sing about this season. Indeed, the only choruses that had been heard in the aftermath of their previous two fixtures had been boos.

A routine, if somewhat mundane, win over St Johnstone is never going to be the kind of result that will change the tune of the support but it did, at least, turn down the decibel level when it comes to Beale’s future. At a time when questions remain around the majority of the summer recruits, Danilo was able to help Rangers, albeit briefly, answer some of their critics.

The situation regarding Danilo was one of the main points of discussion over the international break and in the aftermath of the defeats to PSV Eindhoven and Celtic that saw Beale’s position come under such scrutiny. So much had been made of the Brazilian upon his arrival at Ibrox, yet so little had been seen of his talent in the opening weeks of the campaign.

He will now have to watch on from the sidelines once again. Danilo underwent surgery on Saturday evening after sustaining a fractured cheekbone in a wince-inducing but accidental collision with Liam Gordon, the St Johnstone captain.

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It was a moment that Beale described as the game being ‘cruel’ to Danilo and it was hard not to have sympathy for the 24-year-old. The television footage and snaps from pitch side photographers showed the extent of the damage as the area under Danilo’s left eye ballooned up, like a boxer who had been caught with a sweet shot.

A period of treatment on the park saw the stretcher called for and then dismissed and Danilo made his way, slowly and steadily, off the pitch with the assistance of Dr. Mark Waller. It was he who had to break the news to Beale that surgery was required and the Ibrox boss can now only hope that Danilo is able to return to action sooner rather than later.

A post from Danilo on his Instagram account showed the severity of the blow, even though he described the procedure as ‘small’. As he thanked his well-wishers for their messages, there was a vow to ‘never give in, never back down’ alongside images of him scoring the goal that set Rangers on their way to a win that carried such significance for a plethora of reasons.

It will not be the strike that acts as the ignition to Danilo’s campaign as he prepares to recover and then work his way back into Beale’s blueprint. It was, however, another small but welcome insight into what the former Ajax forward can add to an attack that has been profligate throughout the campaign.

Beale has hinted at issues that Danilo has been coping with on a few occasions. Speaking ahead of the match on Saturday, he stated that Danilo had been ‘dealing with a couple of things’ but was ‘now in a much better place’ and afterwards he referenced a ‘couple of bits going on outside’.

The affairs that Danilo has had to address in recent days may well remain private, yet they are perhaps why Beale felt he was not the right option to start either leg of the play-off round tie with PSV or the must-win first derby of the campaign. Ultimately, it is what he does in public that matters most to Rangers and events in Perth look like being one step forward but two back for a striker that now has three goals from ten appearances this term.

A support that was so enthused by Danilo’s arrival from Feyenoord have not seen enough of Beale’s most expensive recruit of the season. It is still too early to determine whether or not he is worth the £6million package that was required to bring him to Ibrox but there is belief that he will prove value for money when utilised correctly and regularly.

Two of his goals have come with his head, while the other was a composed, clinical finish in the win over Morton as Danilo made space for himself in the area and then produced a low, right-foot effort that ensured Beale’s side progressed in the Viaplay Cup.

Their opponents in the last eight are the other side that Danilo has scored against this season as he nodded home from a similar area to his effort on Saturday. It remains to be seen, though, if he will be available for the second meeting of the term with Livingston next midweek.

That fixture carries its own connotations for Beale and for Rangers and it comes amid a sequence where every challenge – apart from, perhaps, the visit of Real Betis on Thursday evening – must be overcome relatively comfortably.

At a time when Beale is seeking to find a settled side and gather momentum, he must rethink his forward line once again. Beale fielded nine different line-ups during the first nine fixtures of the season and the make-up of the strike pairing has been tinkered with more than any other area of the side. Beale vowed that his ‘strongest team’ would be selected to face St Johnstone and while that can be debated for certain individuals, there is no doubt that a pairing of Danilo and Kemar Roofe has the potential to be a potent, pivotal partnership.

Beale spoke last season about the requirement to add more goals and more goal scorers to the team. In Roofe and Danilo, he has two strikers who do their best work inside the area.

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That was evident as the move that resulted in the opening goal unfolded on Saturday. Sam Lammers, who has yet to convince as the link between midfield and forwards, combined smartly with James Tavernier and the captain was sent scampering down the right as Rangers were alert in the transition and swiftly turned defence into attack.

The cross from Tavernier was met by Danilo. He was just six yards out and was central to Dimitar Mitov’s goal as he showed admirable bravery to get there ahead of Gordon and take the blow to the face that would end his afternoon early after pats on the back from his teammates.

Beale had to be pleased and encouraged with the build-up and the finish. It was noticeable, though, that Roofe was also alert to the chance. Had Danilo not connected with the cross, Roofe was arriving on the scene in behind, ready to convert himself.

For the second match in succession, Roofe was denied a goal by a VAR decision. This one was not as contentious as his Old Firm strike that was ruled out for a controversial foul in the build-up, but the margins were just as tight as Abdallah Sima was adjudged to be offside before he darted clear of the Saints' defence and subsequently squared the ball to Roofe.

Had Rabbi Matondo elected to do the same with 12 minutes remaining, Roofe would have had his goal. As it transpired, Matondo was quite right to finish a chance that had been carved out courtesy of a cutting pass from Tom Lawrence, who steadily imposed himself on the encounter and will certainly benefit from the game time as he seeks to establish himself in the coming weeks.

It was the kind of opening that Matondo would have squandered last season, yet his Rangers renaissance continues apace. After being trusted against PSV and Celtic, Matondo could now get the nod for the visit of Betis as Group C gets up and running at Ibrox.

READ MORE: Can Rabbi Matondo make Rangers grade? Analysing winger with ex-coach

Beale has a couple of days to deliberate over who starts against the Spaniards. Unfortunately, he has been denied the opportunity to stick with the pairing that showed promise in Perth as a result of Danilo’s untimely injury. He does at least have options with Lammers, Matondo and Sima, as well as Cyriel Dessers, who didn’t feature for the first time this season after spending the entire afternoon on the bench.

The loss of Danilo has come on the back of the injuries to Kieran Dowell and Todd Cantwell and further erodes the guile and goals available to Beale at a time when he needs as many creative players and as many finishers as possible.

It will be some time before supporters can sing in encouragement or celebration towards Danilo once again. Right now, Beale needs another masterplan at Ibrox.