'Pre-season has not been easy' -  Rangers striker Dessers admits fitness concerns

Cyriel Dessers has admitted that he is not in tiptop condition ahead of Rangers first competitive game of the 2023-2024 season against Kilmarnock on Saturday, August 5.

The Light Blues confirmed the capture of Dessers twenty four days ago, signing him from Italian Serie B club US Cremonese on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee. 

Dessers' fitness is a cause for concern given that manager Michael Beale is counting on the Nigerian attacker to play a key role for his side in the new season. 

The 28-year-old started Rangers' last two pre-season games against Hoffenheim and Olympiacos, and came off the bench to make his first appearance for the Glasgow club against Hamburg. 

Having missed the last six games contested by Cremonese in the Serie A due to a kneecap problem, Dessers confessed that he's lacking match fitness heading into the game against Kilmarnock. 

Speaking after Saturday's friendly with Hoffenheim, Dessers told Rangers TV: "For myself the pre-season has not been easy because I was injured in the last month of last season so I did my rehab during my holiday and also at the beginning when I came to Rangers. 

"I'm still getting used to the rhythm. In the training it's going fine but in the games I feel like I need more rhythm, the speed of the game needs to pick up."

Dessers scored ten goals in 32 appearances combined for Cremonese and Racing Genk last season. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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