Rangers will have ‘big shoes to fill’ in the Old Firm derby after star striker Alfredo Morelos picked up an injury while on international duty, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Gers are set to host their bitter rivals Celtic this afternoon in what could prove to be a crucial clash in an enthralling Scottish Premiership title race.

What is the latest news involving Morelos?

Morelos - who is valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt - returned from South America early for treatment after being away with his native Colombia but now faces a battle to recover for today's match at Ibrox.

A statement from the Colombia Football Association revealed that following ‘medical examinations’ on the 25-year-old, ‘a muscle injury to his left thigh was confirmed’.

And Morelos was then seen on crutches at Glasgow Airport on Thursday as he reportedly headed down to London for a scan, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst later confirmed he will be unavailable for selection.

The stocky forward’s enforced absence will be a bitter blow for Rangers as they attempt to close the three-point gap at the top of the table.

In his 42 appearances across all competitions this season, Morelos has registered 19 goals and eight assists, firing the Glasgow giants to the quarter-finals of the Europa League and the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.

What has O’Rourke said about Morelos?

Morelos is Rangers’ leading scorer in the league at this moment in time, with fellow strikers Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala notching four goals fewer than their prolific teammate.

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And O’Rourke believes El Bufalo’s unavailability will be a ‘major loss’ for Van Bronckhorst’s charges going into arguably their biggest game of the season so far.

He told GiveMeSport: “Morelos has shown in the past that he’s a big game player as he's proved on the European stage for Rangers. So, to be without him will be a major loss and big shoes to fill up front because he is their main source of goals.”

Is Morelos a big-game player?

Since Morelos arrived on Scottish shores from HJK Helsinki back in July 2017, he has established himself as one of the most talented stars in the SPFL, notching up 164 goal contributions in 224 outings for Rangers.

However, he has often been derided for his limited contribution in the Old Firm derbies, with his first effort against Celtic coming in a 1-1 draw in March last year.

Morelos had gone 14 derby matches without finding the back of the net, yet his contribution on the European stage has never been in doubt.

The clinical striker has become Rangers’ all-time top scorer in European competitions and has scored against both Borussia Dortmund and Red Star Belgrade in this season’s Europa League knockout stages.

Therefore, his presence will surely be sorely missed by Rangers in this top-of-the-table clash.