Malik Tillman might have seen his last action for the season, after he was forced out of Rangers’ FA Cup loss to Celtic on Sunday with what commentators suggested a hamstring injury.
The versatile UMSNT attacker only lasted for just over a half-hour in his team’s semifinal game on Sunday, before limping off the field in tears, with noticeable discomfort in his left leg.
Seeming to clutch the back of his left leg immediately after going down, it was suggested by on-air commentators that he had suffered a hamstring pull, which almost certainly will see him miss some time, if not all of Rangers’ final five league games.
While the club has confirmed neither the nature nor severity of his injury, with effectively no chances for any trophies remaining this season it is unlikely that they would push the 20 year-old back into duty for any meaningless dead-rubber.
Questions will arise as to whether Tillman will suit up again for the Glasgow club, as Bayern’s asking price of £5 million being reported in the British media would be a significant commitment for the club.
While he has largely delivered this season, with ten assists and four goals in Scottish Premiership play, he has been significantly less productive in his three appearances against city rival Celtic, with no goal contributions.
Even though overall mediocrity can be overlooked by fans and management when offset with good showings in the Old Firm, the same can be said for the converse, which might be a deciding factor on a potential transfer following a disappointingly trophyless season for the team.
Nevertheless, Rangers head coach Michael Beale did confess earlier in the spring that negotiations with Bayern were ongoing and indicated that Tillman was interested in elongating his stay in Glasgow.
Also uncertain is whether the injury will impact the four-times-capped player’s ability to participate in the upcoming USMNT games beginning in mid-June. While he is, by all means, still a borderline case for squad selection, he is viewed as a major prospect for the team, and a breakout summer could propel him into a more pivotal role.
