By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Rangers manager Russell Martin has delivered a positive injury update on Cyriel Dessers, revealing that the Nigeria international could return in time for next week’s UEFA Champions League play-off against Club Brugge.
Dessers was forced off in the 54th minute of Rangers’ 2–1 Champions League qualifying defeat to Viktoria Plzen, sparking initial fears of a serious injury.
Speaking in a press conference, Martin shared more encouraging news: “Cyriel’s is not as bad as everyone feared, so tomorrow will be too early, but we’re really hopeful he can be involved on Tuesday,” he told the BBC.
“Everyone feared the worst, the way he went off, but it was a small issue—nowhere near as bad as it could’ve been. Bit stiff and a bit sore still, but everyone will work really hard to make sure he’s given every chance to be fit for Tuesday.”
The 29-year-old striker is not expected to feature in this Saturday’s Scottish League Cup tie against Alloa Athletic but could make his comeback in the high-stakes clash with Belgian side Club Brugge.
Dessers remains a key part of Martin’s plans for the season, and his return would be a timely boost for Rangers as they aim to secure a spot in the Champions League group stage.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
