Rangers head coach Russell Martin has confirmed that Belgian international Nico Raskin will not be in the squad to face Hearts this weekend, despite his recent situation at the club being “resolved.”
The 24-year-old midfielder, who was left out of Rangers’ goalless Old Firm draw with Celtic before the international break, has since returned to training with the first team. Raskin made headlines during the break by scoring in Belgium’s 6-0 rout of Kazakhstan, further underlining his quality and importance.
Martin explained the decision while emphasizing the need for Raskin to regain full trust within the squad.
“He won’t be in the squad tomorrow,” Martin said. “We have a lot of conversations, as we do with every player, but he’s back training with the squad, which is a good step.
Now, like every player really, he has a duty to make sure that he earns the trust of all his other team-mates, the coaching staff and the staff in the building to help us win football matches.”
Raskin, who joined Rangers from Standard Liège in January 2023, was one of the club’s standout performers last season. However, under Martin, he has struggled to secure regular game time and has yet to feature in the new boss’s Premiership campaign, which has started with four consecutive draws.
Despite fans calling for Raskin’s return, Martin appears determined to bring him back gradually, focusing on team balance and discipline before reintegrating the midfielder fully into matchday plans.
