Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton has stated that Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo could be suffering from burnout after playing so many matches this season already.
Aribo was in action for Rangers' on Saturday as Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side lost the Old Firm Derby to Celtic by a 2-1 scoreline at the Ibrox Stadium.
The 25-year-old has played 46 matches for Rangers already this season and has also started 10 matches for the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the last year to take his appearances to 56 matches.
He has played a lot of football this season - Hutton on Aribo
In an interview with Football Insider, Hutton suggested that Aribo looked tired when he played against Celtic at the weekend.
Hutton said: "I think so. I was watching the game with a lot of friends who are Rangers fans and we all said the same thing, that he looked a bit jaded, a bit tired.
"You look at the amount of football that he’s played. A lot of pressure falls on his shoulders to go and produce. He can open that defence, he can see a pass and split a defence."
Hutton says playing at AFCON could have affected Aribo
Hutton, a former Tottenham Hotspur left-back, also stated that most of the playmaking responsibilities of the Rangers' team fall on Aribo and the pressure might be too much on him.
Hutton explained: "A lot comes down to him, especially when teams are playing low blocks against Rangers. It’s up to him to try and open that door, so there’s been a lot of pressure on him.
"He’s been away at the AFCON and I think people forget that. They only see him turning up on a Saturday and say: 'He’s played better.'"
Aribo was part of the Super Eagles squad to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and was also called up for the two-legged World Cup Qualifiers against the Black Stars of Ghana.
The 25-year-old has scored seven (7) goals and provided eight (8) assists for Rangers this season with two (2) assists and one (1) goal coming in his last 10 matches for the Scottish champions.