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Derek McInnes has warned that Rangers are \"playing with fire\" due to a critical shortage of defensive options as the summer transfer window nears its close.

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The new Glasgow boss has endured a challenging start to his tenure, failing to win any of his first three matches across all competitions, recording one draw and two defeats. His tactical struggles have been compounded by a devastating injury blow in a 2-1 defeat to Hibernian.

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Left-back Tuur Rommens is expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a groin strain, while Youssef Chermiti—who had been attracting interest from Galatasaray—is ruled out for a \"significant period of time\" after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

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Urgent Need for Reinforcements

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Despite signing nine new players this summer, including defenders Olwethu Makhanya and Ross McCrorie, McInnes believes the squad remains dangerously thin. He specifically highlighted the lack of left-footed options in the backline.

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\n \"Strengthening defensively, strengthening in wide areas was a priority. But obviously losing a player of Youssef's ability, we need to look at that one as well,\" McInnes conceded. \"We don't have an array of options defensively. We don't have a left-footed defender in the building, and we're keen to try and get that resolved as quickly as possible.\" \n

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McInnes added: \"I do think that with the numbers we've got there, we are playing with fire, and there are a couple of defenders being injured.\"

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European Pressure Mounts

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The defensive crisis comes at a pivotal moment. Rangers are preparing to host Jagiellonia Bialystok in the second leg of their Europa League third-round qualifier, trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Poland. Success would see them advance to the play-offs to face either Northern Irish champions Larne or Georgia's Iberia Tbilisi.

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Addressing the pressure of his rocky start, the former Hearts boss remained defiant: \"We understand that there's not always going to be sunshine and rainbows. I got the job for a reason. It's part of being a manager... it's about coping with difficult times.\"

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The club is currently seeking further reinforcements in the full-back, winger, and forward positions, with a move for PSV's Couhaib Driouech reportedly edging closer to completion.

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