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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
Sport
Calum Woodger

Filip Helander provides Rangers injury boost but Sweden return fails to impress

Rangers have been handed an injury boost ahead of Saturday's trip to St Johnstone as Filip Helander returned to the Sweden starting XI on Thursday night.

It was a disappointing evening for the Swedes, as they went down 2-1 in Athens thanks to Greek goals from Anastasios Bakasetas and Vangelis Pavlidis.

Robin Quaison would pull one back for the visitors but big defender Helander, who had been a major fitness doubt ahead of the World Cup Group B qualifier, bore the brunt of the Swedish media for the result.

Despite performing well in a 2-1 win over Spain and subsequently training away from the rest of the squad due to his injury, local journalists didn't hold back.

Fingers were pointed at the Ibrox star for a disappointing showing in which he lost Pavlidis for what was, ultimately, the crucial strike.

Dagens Nyheter claimed the Light Blues' Premiership title winner went from "acclaimed to unfortunate" on his return to the side.

Fotboll Direkt took a similarly strong stance, claiming the 28-year-old "never got into" the game.

They added Helander "had problems in defence and when he would be responsible for play, it was not good enough."

Gers boss Steven Gerrard will hope the comments won't affect one of his key men too much as they head for Perth this weekend.

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