Zungu ‘removed’ from squad – Gerrard

Bongani Zungu has been temporarily removed from Rangers’ squad and will be fined after being named by Steven Gerrard as one of five players who breached Covid regulations.

Speaking ahead of Rangers’ UEFA Europa League clash against Royal Antwerp, Gerrard confirmed that the Bafana Bafana international was among the group of players who had been removed from the squad and told to self-isolate after breaching Scotland’s Covid-19 rules.

“First and foremost we have to acknowledge that five of our players have been involved in a breach of the Covid regulations,” the former England international told Rangers TV. “Which, from the top of the club to the bottom, we’re all really disappointed in.

“That will be dealt with internally, the players will be fined and we are in dialogue with the SFA [Scottish Football Association] and the Government moving forward to find the solution in terms of those boys.

“It won’t affect us as a group, I’ve been absolutely delighted with the group in terms of their application, I feel personally let down by recent events but I’m trying to move forward and focus on the important thing which is preparing for a huge game against Antwerp.”

Scroll through the gallery below to see where Zungu ranks among South Africa’s most-valuable overseas-based players

“They’ve been removed from the club and the squad for now on a short-term basis while they isolate and I’ll be sitting down with those boys face to face once we’re allowed to do so. We’ll certainly move forward from it, we’re at a critical stage in terms of the games coming up and where we are as a club.

“Bongani Zungu is involved, Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey, Dapo [Mebude] who is part of the academy and is on loan at Queen of the South at the moment, and a young goalie who is in the academy but has spent some time in the first team at the moment, Brian Kinnear.”

Gerrard did not elaborate on the nature of Zungu and the other players’ breach of the regulations but they could now be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines following previous punishments handed down by the league.

Earlier this season, Rangers’ Jordan Jones and George Edmundson were handed seven-match bans for attending a party during lockdown while eight Aberdeen players received a three-match ban in September for similar offences.

Zungu has made 16 appearances across all competitions this season but has struggled to cement his spot in Gerrard’s first XI, making just four starts for the campaign since joining the club from French side Amiens.