According to UEFA’s website this morning Umar Sadiq isn’t in the Sevco squad for the Europa League tie against Shkupi.
The Roma striker has apparently joined the Ibrox club on a season long loan but news of his ‘signing’ was accompanied by mention that the deal was subject to international clearance.
As a Nigerian Sadiq needs a work permit to play in Scottish football, a condition put in place by PFA Scotland to prevent the game from being flooded by sub-standard but cheap imports from abroad.
Despite scoring just five goals in the last two seasons the SFA have given Sadiq a work permit, apparently in time for tonight’s match.
Last Friday was the initial deadline for registering players for Europa League first round matches with Lee Wallace missing from that list.
Two wildcard signings are allowed by midnight Central European Time on the day before the first leg but Sadiq was still missing from that list.
With just two training sessions completed with his new team-mates Sadiq would be an unlikely starter against Shkupi but a pretty useful substitute.
Unless there has been a mysterious late development it looks like Alfredo Morelos is literally Steven Gerrard’s sole striker for two matches that are critical on the park- and for the club bank account.