Rangers boss says plastic pitches should not be allowed

Artificial pitches should not be allowed in elite football, said Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, after he lost winger Jamie Murphy to a knee injury on Kilmarnock's synthetic surface.

The winger appeared to twist his left knee during the first half of the 3-1 League Cup last-16 win at Rugby Park.

Gerrard said Murphy is "very low, down and upset" and fears he will "be out for a long time".

"If you ask Jamie right now he'll say it was a pitch incident," Gerrard said.

"I'm not here to disrespect Kilmarnock and their playing facilities. I know it helps support the running of their club. But my opinion is elite football shouldn't have any plastic pitches.

"I think for every club worldwide it's safer to have a grass pitch. But I don't want to dive in too quick, we'll wait and see what the examinations say but we're all fearing the worst."

Murphy, 28, seems almost certain to miss the first leg of Rangers Europa League play-off against Russian side FC Ufa on Thursday.

You can read the full article from the BBC HERE