FILIP HELANDER has slapped down injury rumours insisting he could be back playing for Rangers at the beginning of next year.

The Swedish centre back hasn't featured for the Ibrox outfit since April after sustaining a foot injury against St Mirren.

Reports online had suggested that the knock was causing the Rangers medical team significant trouble in finding the full extent of the problem.

But a source close to the player has insisted these rumours could not be further from the truth.

They told the Daily Express: “It has been such a frustrating time for Fil but we can now see light at the end of the tunnel.

“We thought that the injury had cleared up in the summer and Fil was feeling good as he took part in pre-season training. He went with the squad to Portugal and then in one of the sessions he felt the problem again and it was back to square one.

“He went back to see a specialist and it was decided to have an operation. The surgery has been a success and now he’s just going through the whole rehab process which will still take time.

“The hope is that he will be back in training in the early part of next year and then playing again in February or March.”

Rangers will be hoping that their injury problems ease over the World Cup break with a number of first-team stars out.

Fashion Sakala, Ridvan Yilmaz, Kemar Roofe, Connor Goldson, and John Souttar are also out, as are midfielder Ianis Hagi and attacker Tom Lawrence.

Ben Davies was a late absentee against St Mirren on Saturday and Leon King was also stretched off during the match.

Meanwhile, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has vowed to fight on as manager.

He said: “I have no fear, no. I never have fear. I just see what comes but I don’t have fear.

“We are going to sit down (with board), that is for sure, and speak about the last couple of months and which way to go forward.

“I said many times before that if we keep dropping points I am accountable for that. That is what comes from the job.

“We prepare the players as best we can and then they have to put in the performance. That is always the case. As I said before, the way we conceded the goal, we had to be sharper.

“It is a five-week break before the next game. Time to reflect and rest and recover and then we have two weeks to prepare for the first game against Hibs.”

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