FORMER Celtic defender Gary Caldwell reckons that Alfredo Morelos was lucky not to see red against Hibernian on Wednesday night - adding that the Colombian could have been sent off on another two occasions this season.
The Ibrox forward was involved in a flashpoint at Easter Road midweek during a coming together with Hibs defender Ryan Porteous, with Morelos appearing to stand on the centre-half's leg as they challenged for the ball.
Referee Kevin Clancy judged the incident to be accidental, meaning Morelos went unpunished - something Caldwell reckons was a stroke of luck on the part of the striker.
🎙 | "It could easily be a red for Morelos."
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) January 27, 2021
Should the Rangers striker have been sent off for this challenge? 🟥
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Speaking after the match, Hibs head coach Jack Ross insisted that Rangers should have been reduced to 10 men for the challenge.
“It’s a red card,” he said. “You can ask me and I don’t think my opinion is going to be different to every single person here and every single person who watched it.
“It’s quite an easy one to say it should be a red card, but obviously it’s been missed by the match officials.
“I wouldn’t use it as an excuse for how we lost the goal. We defended brilliantly throughout the game and that was one lapse for us. We should have defended the goal better, irrespective of who scores it.
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“I’m not going to use that as an excuse for conceding, but I would point to the fact that he shouldn’t have been on the pitch. I think that’s plain for everyone to see.”
Caldwell agreed with Ross' assessment that Morelos was lucky to be able to escape punishment for the 'stamp' - adding that the forward could now have been given his marching orders THREE times this season.
"I thought it was a stamp," Caldwell said of the challenge between Morelos and Porteous on Sky Sports. "He’s a player who has been very lucky this season.
"Rangers have kept playing him, kept putting him in the team and he’s kept making the same mistakes and he’s got away with them.
"He got away with one at Dundee United, in the Old Firm game he could quite easily have been sent off and last night [Against Hibs], it’s clear.
"What I can’t understand is the referee is looking right at it, and the referee decides not to do anything.
"He can clearly see it, but he doesn’t make that decision."
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