Rangers: Steven Gerrard says no January signings but two to leave

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard expects a quiet end to the month

Steven Gerrard does not expect Rangers to make any signings during January but thinks Greg Docherty and Jamie Murphy will exit on loan "in the coming days".

Midfielder Docherty has made five appearances this season and winger Murphy just two.

"Unless something big happens to one of the players then I don't predict anyone to come in," the manager said.

"I always said it would be a quiet month in terms of incomings and nothing's changed on that."

Gerrard thanked his medical staff for reducing the time captain James Tavernier is expected to be on the sidelines following the right-back's appendix scare.

"He will probably be missing for a couple of weeks," he said. "He's had a minor procedure around his appendix, which we sorted out yesterday and the small procedure went very well.

"These situations can be up to six weeks or couple of months if there are complications - if the appendix burst inside, but that wasn't the case.

"He was getting a bit of abdominal pain and fortunately we've got one of the best doctors in the business and he sent him to a specialist right away."

A foot injury picked up playing for Rangers' reserves could hinder the chances of winger Glenn Middleton, whose loan spell from Hibernian was cut short by the Edinburgh club, leaving Ibrox during January.

"He's had a scan and we're waiting for confirmation," Gerrard said. "There were a few things bubbling away with Glen, so that may or may not put people off we were in contact with. But we don't predict he will be sidelined for long."

Gerrard says he is more comfortable about reducing his "bloated" squad now than during the summer and Docherty, who had a spell on loan with Shrewsbury Town in England's League One last season, is likely to be next to leave.

"There's a real serious club in for Docherty and negotiations are ongoing," the manager said. "It's getting closer and closer and I predict something could happen in the coming days.

"He had a real strong loan at Shrewsbury - Shrewsbury did ever so well with him. He went down there and got team of the year, so he's got a lot of attention from that league and we've had Championship interest as well.

"But this is a player we respect very much because of the way he's gone about it. He's done his best to push the lads in the starting XI to try to get a place, but unfortunately it hasn't happened, so the best thing for him at this stage of his career is to go and play, certainly until the end of the season, and then we can sit and analyse it in pre-season."

Murphy has been unable to win his place back since his return from a serious knee injury.

"With Jamie, it's a similar situation to Docherty's, but I predict that they will go out, hopefully in a couple of days so they can get playing as quick as possible," Gerrard added.

"In an ideal scenario, I want to see them playing competitive football in the coming days rather than weeks."

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