Newly minted Rangers head coach Russell Martin has issued an update on the fitness status of Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers ahead of the Blues’ all-important UEFA Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos on Tuesday, Footynaija.com reports.
Martin, who only recently took up the role in June, confirmed that Dessers and his strike partner from last season, Hamza Igamane, trail the rest of the team in pre-season preparations.
Dessers reported back from the close season holidays with a minor injury according to the former Southampton boss. However, the Nigerian is now back on grass and working his way back to full fitness.
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What Russell Martin said
“Hamza and Cyriel have both been really good,” Martin told RangersTV in an exclusive chat.
“They are both a little bit behind the group in terms of fitness because Cyriel came back with a small injury, and Hamza had visa issues.
“But they are both working incredibly hard and that is all you can ask. I have enjoyed having them back on the training pitch properly for a week now.
“We need talent at the top end of the pitch and need goals in the team and they both definitely bring that.
“We’re going to try and work out ways to get those two guys to play together at times, it might be one of them, it might be both and it is up to us to work out what they can do and what they are comfortable doing.
“There have been moments from both where you look at it and you go okay, they can really help the team, and I am looking forward to having them fully fit and firing very soon.”
Dessers was one of Rangers’ most important personnels last season, with the Nigeria international notching 29 goals across all competitions and serving as the main supply of goals for the Scottish Premiership giants.
Although speculations linked Dessers with a move away from Ibrox earlier this year, he now looks set to play a major role under Russell Martin this season.
