Rangers are set to be hit by the striker blow Ibrox Noise predicted a week or two ago after Bayer’s Nigerian hitman Victor Boniface was ruled out of the AFCON with a groin tear, paving the way for Cyriel Dessers to get the call:
“Victor sustained a muscle-tendon injury in the right adductor area during preparations for the Africa Cup and will undergo surgery in the coming days”
Dessers only just missed out on the squad, and was comfortably in the preliminary group before it was whittled down – he like the rest of those who failed to get the final place have all remained on standby in case of injury, and with Boniface now out of the competition, Dessers is in pole position to get the nod.
This would leave Rangers with just one single striker in Fabio Silva, unless anyone wants to count the departing Sam Lammers, because of course Abdallah Sima is already in the Ivory Coast as it is and Danilo is out long-term injured.
In short, if Dessers gets the call, Rangers have only the Wolves man to rely upon up front, and that is pretty desperate without further additions.
There are youth players yes, and we suppose Kemar Roofe, but he’s as reliable as the weather so we never factor him into any Rangers discussion any more.
So as it could stand, just one striker for January which is a long way from ideal.
The one saving grace is that the winter break is upon us, and the only matches are friendlies for a period, but it’s 11 days before Dumbarton in the cup, and while they’re not expected to offer major resistance, Rangers would feel infinitely more comfortable going into that one with at least two strikers up front.
If Dessers gets the call, it will be just Silva.
Clement will be hoping to get in a man or two this window with some modest sense of urgency.