Nico Raskin slapped with Rangers suspension after Celtic flashpoint with Callum McGregor

Following his altercation with Callum McGregor, Nicolas Raskin will miss Rangers’ January 9 match against Dundee. In the New Year’s derby against Celtic, the Belgian captain led the Gers, as vice captain Jack Butland was sidelined due to an internal bleeding in his leg and regular captain James Tavernier was benched due to injury. Ianis Hagi’s incredible low goal gave Rangers the lead at halftime, and his first forty-five minutes wearing the armband went smoothly.

When whistler Don Robertson blew for halftime, tempers were at an all-time high, as is always the case with this one. TV cameras captured Raskin and his opponent McGregor fighting, with the two holding each other by the shirt. After settling the dispute, Whistler Robertson gave Raskin a yellow card, his sixth this season.

Since accumulative suspensions no longer take effect immediately, he will still be ready to play against Hibs on Sunday even if he will now miss their trip to Dundee on Thursday. On commentary, commentator Leanne Crichton pointed out that McGregor was already booked when the two players clashed, which may have been the reason Robertson decided not to book him as well. “Callum McGregor is on a yellow card,” she stated on BBC Sportsound. Normally, the referee would just give both players a yellow card to end the match, but he allowed himself to get involved in that. He has undoubtedly had to decide that it was more Raskin.

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