What 'boiling' Rangers boss Philippe Clement said about tackle that leaves John Lundstram a doubt for Celtic

Furious Rangers boss Philippe Clement felt John Lundstram had been "kicked off the pitch" in their 2-0 Scottish Premiership win over St Johnstone at Ibrox on Wednesday night.

The Belgian coach was left to contend with further injury problems after luckless striker Kemar Roofe was forced off after just 16 minutes with another setback. Lundstram was then caught on the ankle by a hefty lunging challenge from Diallang Jaiyesimi.

Referee Alan Muir initially branded the Saints frontman with a yellow card before VAR intervened and the whistler's on-field decision was upgraded to a red, with the Gers midfielder replaced at half-time after struggling to shake off the knock to his ankle.

Clement was left seething by the challenge on Lundstram who is now a major doubt for the remaining fixtures in the lead up to the January break, including the Old Firm derby at Parkhead on December 30. Injury-prone Roofe will also be "assessed".

He stated: "It's another player who is kicked off the pitch, so I am really frustrated with that. It's his ankle so we will see in the next couple of days what will happen. This for me is my main concern after the game - again a player kicked off the pitch.

"I'm not sure we can get him back before the winter break so that's not a good situation. I don't want to go in on emotions after the game, I am a little boiling so it's better to cool down and make opinions about leagues or whatever.

"But it clearly wasn't a good challenge with your studs forward like that. We had an even worse one later in the game when the guy luckily hit the ball and not my player (Dan Phillips on Kieran Dowell), the intensity there was to break a leg. Those things are not good for football."

St Johnstone manager Craig Levein had no complaints about the referee's decision to upgrade the challenge to a red card.

He admitted: "I thought it was a red. I thought the referee was right. In the modern day that's a red - certainly if it had happened to one of our players I'd be calling for a red card so I am not going to sit here and say anything different."

On Phillips' challenge, however, the former Hearts and Scotland boss claimed: "I thought that was a good tackle."

Substitute Cyriel Dessers fired the home side ahead after 28 minutes and skipper James Tavernier doubled their lead with six minutes left from the penalty spot to move them within two points of league leaders Celtic, with a game still in hand.