Ibrox source confident that Kent will escape SFA ban despite red card

Steven Gerrard is confident that Ryan Kent won’t face a domestic suspension after being sent off in last night’s friendly against Lyon.

The former Liverpool winger struck out at an opponent late in the first half and was shown a straight red card by the French official.

A year ago Jozo Simunovic missed two SPFL matches after being sent off in a pre-season friendly against St Gallen.

It would seem logical if Kent suffered the same fate but this afternoon Radio Clyde reports:

The Scottish Football Association may have been forced to issue a two-game ban for violent conduct – ruling Kent out of Rangers’ opening two league games away at Aberdeen and at home to St Mirren – had the French Football Federation passed on the official’s match report to their Hampden counterparts.

But a Rangers source told the PA news agency the club expects “no issues moving forward”, with Kent also free to face Nice in their final Veolia Trophy clash on Saturday.

Before international friendly matches are agreed permission is needed between the national associations.

It would seem unusual if the SFA has different agreements in place with the French and Swiss associations.

Double standards are nothing new inside the SFA as the cases of Ryan Christie and Alfredo Morelos have shown.

Celtic director Michael Nicholson is on the Professional Game Board of the SFA, Kenny Clark is on the Refereeing Committee which is chaired by Willie Young.