No Signings and No Jelavic for New Years Game

[TheBloubellsAreBlouie 209]

Never rains but it pours.

From tomorrow's Scotsman:

"As it stands at the moment, the indication from the bank is that we will have no opportunity to bring in players in January," said Smith. "We won't even have a wage to offer for a loan player.

"So it would obviously be a help for us to have Jelavic back. His wife is due to have a baby on 4 January, so he will go home for that, and he has had the complication of having flu. But he should be ready by the middle of January".

http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Walter-Smith39s-hands-tied-in.6667052.jp

[Clemdog 39,389]

Ach well thats shat on our Beckham parade

[Escobar 13,676]

You have got to be joking Gutted about that!!

On the other hand, Congratulations Shagger #2

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

FFS

[Jamie1807 146]

Right

Somebody who has a private plane, round everyone up and let's get over to Croatia and force this baby out tonight/tomorrow.

[H72 265]

...your move, Mr Whyte.

[nvager 498]

Never mind we will have Edu and Lafferty back for the OF game.

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

Right

Somebody who has a private plane playing, round everyone up and let's get over to Croatia and force this baby out tonight/tomorrow.

[Jamie1807 146]

[TexasGers 96]

We smashed them without Jelavic before, we can do it again

[martyboy2009 11]

Does ma nut in how long people always take to come back from injuries?!!!!

[FTP 3]

Can't wait to see jela plane again

[ForeverBlue_Since91 2,895]

Smith has said this before we don't have money to spend etc. & he has gone out and bought a few players,I wouldn't listen to what smith tells the media,he tells them what they want to here and does what we want him to do.

[Gaz52 11,837]

As much as I'd love the big man back, it can be done without him again

[Jamie1807 146]

Does ma nut in how long people always take to come back from injuries?!!!!

You did see how he got injured didn't you?

[Gaffbear 4,101]

Although it would be brilliant to have Jela back for the Beggars game we should still pump them without him.

Let Wylde,Naismith,Miller and big Laff loose on them and they'll be doon tae 9 men by half time and greeting about refs again.

[mmrfc1873 48]

[DarcheVinny 1,003]

i wasnt expecting jelly for this game...lets be honest, its going to get postponed anyway...nor was i expecting any signings.

[RFC55 109,739]

I wouldn't take that as gospel from SWS, we know he can manipulate things and influence things to go the way he wants. He has done so over the last year or so and i wouldnt under estimate him doing the same again

[Orangeclement 572]

oh so this is a believeable newspaper is it ? or are we picking and choosing again ?

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

WALTER SMITH is now a prisoner of circumstance.

The Rangers gaffer is facing a stamina-sapping backlog of fixtures after the big freeze.

He's also trying to cope with an injury crisis which has stripped his squad to the bare bones.

He has been told by the bank there's no cash to even pay the wages for a free transfer signing.

It's enough to make any manager lock his office door and throw away the key.

Smith, however, is ready to play his Get Out of Jel Card in the New Year.

Nikica Jelavic is edging towards a long-awaited first team return next month.

Croat hitman Jelavic has been out for three months after ankle surgery.

He definitely won't be fit enough to return for the Old Firm derby against Celtic on January 2.

Smith, though, can't wait to have him back to help lift some of the scoring burden from 21-goal Kenny Miller's shoulders.

Smith, who saw tonight's planned clash with Dundee United postponed yesterday, said: "Jelavic will look at being back in the middle of January.

"He has the complication that he is down with flu now and that has hit his recovery.

"His wife is also expecting a baby on January 4 so he may go home to Croatia for that.

"He should be ready by the middle of January." Jelavic had hit five goals in five games before being crocked at Tynecastle on October 2.

It was a devastating setback for the 25-year-old just weeks after his £4million signing from Rapid Vienna.

Gaffer Smith felt the blow especially badly after waiting all summer to land his No1 target.

Now he's eager for Jelavic to get back in the Ibrox front line as Gers chase a domestic Treble.

He added: "When you get a player like Jelavic, you try to use him in the first part of the season to integrate him into your team and get him going.

"We were just beginning to see the signs he was starting to settle in and play for us and then he got injured.

"That is a little bit awkward for everyone.

"To get him back would be a big help for us.

"Anyone we get back at the moment is a boost."

Smith has lost a string of key players since Jelavic went under the knife in October.

Madjid Bougherra, Sasa Papac and Andy Webster have all missed crucial matches this season.

Maurice Edu and Kyle Lafferty could finally return for the trip to Motherwell on Boxing Day.

On the downside, Kirk Broadfoot is still some way short of a first team return. It's been a problem which Smith feared would disrupt Gers' push for glory at home and abroad.

He said: "Edu is just about ready to come back.

"He had the complication of tonsillitis in addition to the knee injury.

"That has put back his rehabilitation time.

"I would hope we get him a game soon.

"Lafferty is in a slightly different situation.

"As soon as the specialist says he can play, he will play because he can train and his level of fitness is still good.

"He can come straight back into the team.

"Broadfoot is a blow because he covers for us in a number of positions.

"His was a three-month injury so you are looking at a couple of months yet."

Smith has been forced to pitch Murray Park kids Kyle Hutton, Darren Cole and Jordan McMillan into Champions League combat.

He's also used on-loan stars Ricky Foster and Vladimir Weiss to plug holes in his injury-ravaged squad.

There is no prospect of any mid-winter reinforcements for Smith.

Smith said: "As things stand the indication from the bank is we will not have an opportunity to bring in players in January. We won't even have a wage to offer for a loan player."

Gers now face a New Year backlog of clashes in the SPL as well as Europa League, Scottish Cup and Co-Op Cup ties. Smith added: "There is a concern for everyone over a fixture backlog.

"We've already an added situation surrounding the League Cup semi-finals because at the end of January they have been allocated for a weekend for the first time.

"That leaves another game for us against Inverness to be rescheduled.

"Our midweeks are steadily being filled up I would think.

"There's always pressure within the SPL to get games played before the 33-match split too.

"We always faced a test for our squad this season. I thought the first part of the campaign would be the hardest.

"It is being alleviated a bit right now, but the second half of the season looks pretty full.

"After our experiences in 2008 there is a wee bit of a concern we will have to pack games in after New Year."

Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3311042/Get-out-of-Jel-card.html#ixzz18jjpmAad

[TravelingWilBEARy 4,319]

Does ma nut in how long people always take to come back from injuries?!!!!

What are you suggesting?

[debear 603]

oh so this is a believeable newspaper is it ? or are we picking and choosing again ?

Its quotes from Smith, not the usual made up "Our source informs us" crap.

Unless you think that they made up the quotes.

[RFC55 109,739]

What are you suggesting?

Are you suggesting major ankle surgery on ligament damage should take any more than 2 weeks to get back from

[TravelingWilBEARy 4,319]

Are you suggesting major ankle surgery on ligament damage should take any more than 2 weeks to get back from

Yeah, he's obviously just sitting with his feet up cos it's too cold to play football....