Rae suffers new setback
Wednesday, September 8, 2004
Article summary
Rangers FC midfield player Alex Rae has been sidelined for up to two months after tearing a calf muscle.
Article body
Rangers FC midfield player Alex Rae will be out of action for up to two months after tearing a calf muscle during the 1-0 defeat by Glasgow rivals Celtic FC last month.
Five-game ban
Rae was already serving a five-match European ban for gross unsporting conduct after UEFA found him guilty of kicking PFC CSKA Moskva midfield player Serguei Dadu in the head, during the Scottish side's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round defeat in Russia.
Marítimo match
The ban meant the 34-year-old - who sat out the second leg against CSKA - was certain to miss out on Rangers' UEFA Cup first-round tie against Portuguese side CS Marítimo and, if they progressed, also the first two games of the group stage before he would be eligible to play again.
Lifelong ambition
This setback comes just two months into a so far eventful Ibrox career for the Rangers vice-captain who joined his boyhood heroes from Wolverhampton Wanderers FC in July.