7 Rangers presser takeaways as Philippe Clement addresses Belgium links and shares 'very positive' injury news

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has been speaking to the media ahead of his side’s Scottish Premiership match with Dundee United tomorrow afternoon.

The Ibrox club this week appointed director of football recruitment Nils Koppen as technical director. There was a blow dealt on the park however, as Neraysho Kasanwirjo was ruled out with a long-term injury, following the international break.

Clement was also linked with the Belgium national side job, something he discussed with the media this afternoon. Here, Football Scotland brings you the seven key takeaways from the media conference.

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Long-term future for Clement at Ibrox

On Belgian job links

I think a few weeks ago you were here also in the press conference. I hope you remember what I said there. I don't want to go into rumours about players, so I'm not going to go into rumours about those things. But I was really clear that I said that I engaged myself for the long term to Rangers and I'm not going to change my mind on that. So I think it's very clear. I hope now, in the future, if something else comes, that you don't come with this question anymore.

January replacement for Kasawirjo is a possibility

Yeah, of course. Nana played right-back, left-back, centre-back also. So it's in three positions you lose a player. So that's a blow. That's something to think about towards January also and we need to see which fronts we have to solve it in that way.

Koppen new role “a positive”

It's important that there can be decisions made. It's been a strange period last couple of months, where there has been a kind of vacuum in the club in that way, with people stepping in, in the interim role, and helping in that way. And also looking for a new chairman, new CEO, helping in the club. But it's clear now also with Creag leaving, we needed also somebody to make decisions on the short term, not only on the long term. So Nils will take over several responsibilities that Creag had. But that was also a role that he was already doing in a way, together with me, about the short term, things to change in the club and to do in the club. So there's always a lot of things to do. With staff, with infrastructure, with a lot of things. So it's positive, there's clarity in that way now.

Clement not involved in Koppen appointment

No, I was not involved in that. That's the board, like I'm not involved with who will be the CEO or the chairman, that's also not my role to do. I'm here for the sporting side.

Souttar form “good for Scottish football”

He showed that in training and in games also. But John is one of the boys who learns a lot because he's so hungry to become better. And he's one of the examples in that way. Staying after training, working on his weaker points. I call it always working points instead of weaker points to work on that to become better and better and better. And that's what we've seen in this past year. He was not that kind of player one year ago. And if he continues like this with the same mentality, which I don't have any doubt about, he will only grow in the next couple of years also. But it's important also that he gets this praise that he gets now. In Scotland, it will help his confidence also. And to become a better and better player. I think it's good for age and it's good for Scottish football.

Wants both a performance and a result tomorrow

Yeah, we want both, of course. That was a disappointment after the Hearts game also, where you play a good first-half, where you create a lot of chances, you don't give away almost anything, only one backward pass from John, where Jack came out. But in the second half, our level went down, and that's not what I want to see. I want to see that we keep on pushing for the second goal, and that we make the difference earlier in the game, that you don't need to fight until the last second, that the other team stays in the game. So that we need to improve in this game.

Injury updates as Yilmaz returns to training, 'positive' Cortes updates

Ridvan [Yilmaz] is training with the team again, he will be in the selection tomorrow. So he's doing well, he played also one half last week in that friendly game. Rabbi [Matondo] trained and played also the game, the friendly game, but got a kick there so he has a small problem, not a big problem, but he will not be fit for the weekend. And very positive news, Oscar [Cortes] will be back next week to train with the team. So I'm really happy about that also.