It took Ryan Jack a month to shake off the effects of a shuddering Champions League challenge from Ibrahima Konate that was so hard it left him with whiplash.
Watching from the sidelines as Rangers ’ form hit the floor in the four weeks he was out must have been a pain in the neck too. But now he’s fully fit again the midfielder is desperate to make up for lost time for both club and country.
Jack was hit with a double whammy from Liverpool defender Konate in the 7-1 humbling in Govan last month. His calf bore the brunt of the France international’s tackle but he was also left nursing a neck strain after being scythed down. It was the latest frustration in a stop-start season for the 30-year-old. But he hopes the niggles are now firmly in the past. Jack returned to action with a half-hour substitute appearance in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at St Mirren.
And he racked up more minutes as a second-half sub for Scotland in Wednesday’s 2-1 friendly defeat in Turkey. All of which means the five-week World Cup break is the last thing Jack wants right now just as he’s getting back into the groove of things.
He said: “I was just saying that before I left for international duty. The boys have got a couple of weeks off at club level.
“Some of them are going to the World Cup, some boys have got friendly internationals. So for me it was a great time to come away, train and get some minutes in the legs for Scotland.
“I actually got a bit of whiplash from the challenge from Konate in the Liverpool game. When he hit me, he hit my calf as well so it’s a bit of a double whammy.
“I got checked and everything was fine. But there was no point in rushing things. I’m fully fit now and I feel good.
“I spoke to the Scotland manager. He asked me if I had been training with my club and if I was fit. I said yes. I wanted to come away and get some minutes.
“So it was great to be there. I’m just disappointed we never got anything from the game.
“Now it’s just about trying to get in a rhythm and play well consistently. If you do that then everything else falls into place.”
It’s not just the domestic front on Jack’s mind as Rangers look to claw back a nine-point gap on Celtic after the break. There’s the prospect of the Euro 2024 qualifiers starting in March too.
That’s a huge ambition for the midfielder who cruelly missed out on Scotland’s foray into the last European Championships through injury, having played a massive role in helping the nation end its 23-year wait to compete in a major finals. To qualify again Steve Clarke’s side will have to negotiate a tough-looking Group A that contains Spain, Norway, Cyprus and Georgia. But Jack is desperate to make up for his Euro 2020 agony.
He said: “That was obviously a difficult one. It would have been the highlight of my career to date.
“But it is what it is. Injury is part of the game. You’ve got to take your medicine. I supported the boys at the games.
“I was gutted to miss out but I’m hoping to put that right in the next campaign. That’s the aim for the whole squad. We all want to go in with a positive mindset.
“It’s a tough group. Don’t get me wrong, it’s top-quality sides and players we are going to face.
“But this team, this squad, have shown before we can play against good sides and get results. Hopefully in the next campaign we can do that.”
Before then Jack will be tuning into the World Cup where Ibrox team-mate Borna Barisic is preparing to face Morocco, Canada and Belgium with Croatia. The fact Scotland aren’t involved in Qatar still stings but it has only fuelled his desire to make up for the play-off flop against Ukraine by booking a spot at Germany 2024.
To do so performance levels will need to rise significantly from Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat in Diyarbakir. Not that there aren’t positives to be taken from what was a tough night against the Turks.
Jack said: “Mixed emotions. We’re disappointed to lose but they are a good side and they were tough conditions – a tough pitch and a hostile crowd.
“In the end we created enough chances to possibly get something from the game. The way we reacted was a positive. Tough conditions, 2-0 down against a good side, it’s quite easy to go into your shell.
“But we answered it well. John (McGinn) had a great strike that got us back in the game. We went on to create two or three more chances. It’s disappointing in the end because we never like losing.”
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