Rangers Sweat on Cyriel Dessers Fitness Ahead of Champions League Playoff Clash

Rangers head coach Russell Martin has revealed that striker Cyriel Dessers faces a late fitness test ahead of the club’s crucial UEFA Champions League playoff first leg against Club Brugge.

The Nigeria international sustained a knee injury in the Light Blues’ clash with Viktoria Plzen last week and was forced to sit out their League Cup fixture against Alloa Athletic.

Martin confirmed in Monday’s press conference that Dessers remains a “touch and go” case for the high-stakes encounter at Ibrox.

“I think big Cyriel’s probably the only concern really. So he’ll be touch and go,” the coach stated.

Rangers will welcome Club Brugge to Glasgow on Tuesday night as they bid to move one step closer to the Champions League group stages.

Opinion:
For Rangers, the uncertainty around Dessers’ availability couldn’t come at a more delicate moment. Playoff nights are season-defining, and in matches of this magnitude, a clinical striker can be the difference between European glory and heartbreak.

Dessers, with his physicality and eye for goal, offers Rangers a directness that few in the squad can replicate. Without him, Martin may have to reshuffle his attack and lean on less experienced shoulders to rise to the occasion.

But football has a way of creating unlikely heroes. While fans will hope to see their Nigerian forward leading the line, this could also be a chance for another Light Blue to seize the moment. Either way, one thing is certain—Tuesday night at Ibrox will demand every ounce of grit, belief, and firepower Rangers can muster if they are to keep their Champions League dream alive.