BARRY FERGUSON'S ankle repair ligament surgery has been declared a complete success by his top London surgeon.
But the bad news for under-pressure Rangers is that their captain won't be returning to first-team action until November.
SportTimes can reveal that while his team-mates were crashing out of the Champions League on Tuesday night in Lithuania, Ferguson was down south for the first check-up since intricate surgery last month.
The 30-year-old had the plaster-cast removed from his ankle and the work carried out has delighted the specialist. A special plastic boot casing has now been put in place and will come off on September 1.
Ferguson will not rush back and will not deviate from his rehabilitation programme. Light jogging and fitness work will then be followed by his own mini pre-season, and the Scotland captain then plans to play in reserve matches to reach optimum level when he returns to Walter Smith's plans, that target being early November.
One of the ligaments in his left ankle had come away from the bone completely and another had split but pain-killiers had allowed Ferguson to see out the season.
Now, however, a rejuvenated Ferguson has been told that the repair work will allow him to continue playing top-flight football for many years to come and he is determined to fulfil that.
But the bad news for under-pressure Rangers is that their captain won't be returning to first-team action until November.
SportTimes can reveal that while his team-mates were crashing out of the Champions League on Tuesday night in Lithuania, Ferguson was down south for the first check-up since intricate surgery last month.
The 30-year-old had the plaster-cast removed from his ankle and the work carried out has delighted the specialist. A special plastic boot casing has now been put in place and will come off on September 1.
Ferguson will not rush back and will not deviate from his rehabilitation programme. Light jogging and fitness work will then be followed by his own mini pre-season, and the Scotland captain then plans to play in reserve matches to reach optimum level when he returns to Walter Smith's plans, that target being early November.
One of the ligaments in his left ankle had come away from the bone completely and another had split but pain-killiers had allowed Ferguson to see out the season.
Now, however, a rejuvenated Ferguson has been told that the repair work will allow him to continue playing top-flight football for many years to come and he is determined to fulfil that.