Ayr United v Rangers: Ian McCall misses Scottish Cup tie after eye surgery
- Published
Ian McCall played for Rangers for two seasons from 1987 to 1989
Ayr United manager Ian McCall will miss Sunday's Scottish Cup tie against his former club Rangers after undergoing emergency eye surgery.
The 53-year-old former winger had an operation on a detached retina on Tuesday evening.
McCall had hoped to attend the fifth-round game but has been advised to stay away from Somerset Park.
"The advice given from the doctors was to take two weeks off," Ayr said in a statement, external on their website on Sunday.
"The manager had been having pain in his eye for some time and on Monday went to the doctor, who referred him to the hospital, and he received an emergency operation on a detached retina on Tuesday evening.
"He went to training on Saturday morning and spoke to the players.
"However, he was unable to take part in training and is in no fit state to be at the game today."
Snow covered the Somerset Park pitch on Sunday morning
McCall, whose side sit second in Scottish League One, is still determined to make a return to training earlier than advised.
"The manager's plan is to take some involvement in training on Tuesday and be able to be at Somerset Park for the visit of East Fife on Saturday," Ayr added.
McCall took charge of Ayr in 2015 after four years out of the game having previously managed Clydebank, Greenock Morton, Airdrieonians, Falkirk, Dundee United, Queen of the South and Partick Thistle.
He was with Rangers from 1987-89, joining the Ibrox club from Dunfermline Athletic before leaving for Bradford City.
Ayr's ground staff cleared the pitch of snow on Sunday morning, but there was no threat to the televised cup game.
Premiership outfit Rangers' visit to Somerset Park is the seventh fifth-round tie of the weekend, with Falkirk, Greenock Morton, Hearts, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and holders Celtic already having booked their place in the quarter-final draw.
That takes place immediately after Aberdeen host Dundee United, with kick-off at Pittodrie at 16:30 GMT.