Rangers' Chermiti faces long ACL recovery after Hibernian collision — hours after club rejected bid

Rangers striker Youssef Chermiti is facing a long spell on the sidelines after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage — the cruel twist being that the injury came just hours after the club turned down an offer for him. BBC Sport

The 22-year-old Portuguese forward was stretchered off during Rangers' 2-1 home defeat to Hibernian, his knee braced after a jarring collision with the advertising boards. The challenge came just before half-time, involving Hibernian's Josh Mulligan. The Scotsman

Rangers confirmed the news via social media: Chermiti will be out for a significant period. ACL injuries — damage to the ligament that stabilises the knee — typically require surgery and months of rehabilitation.

The timing is agonising. Rangers manager Derek McInnes told BBC Scotland that reports of an approach from Galatasaray, the Turkish champions, for Chermiti had circulated, but that the club's valuation of the player had not been met. The bid was rejected. Then came the match, the collision, and the stretcher. BBC Sport

Chermiti moved to Rangers from Everton in September 2025, reportedly becoming the club's most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo arrived in 2000. A Portuguese under-21 international, he had made 43 appearances for Rangers — 30 of them starts — scoring 15 goals. BBC Sport

For a player who had been building momentum and attracting interest from a Champions League club, a long-term knee injury is about as bad as it gets. Chermiti will now face surgery and a gruelling recovery process, with no firm timeline for a return.

For Rangers, it leaves McInnes short of a forward who had become a reliable presence in the starting eleven. The club rejected a bid they felt undervalued the player. Now, instead of a transfer saga, they are dealing with a rehabilitation plan.