Rangers: Fabio Silva due ‘absolutely top-class’ game for first Celtic clash in key Ibrox trio
Derek Ferguson has predicted the trio of Cyriel Dessers, Fabio Silva and a more-advanced Mohamed Diomande to be crucial for Rangers in the Old Firm derby.
The pundit singled out the Light Blues men as “big players” for Philippe Clement when Celtic visit Ibrox on Sunday (7 April), with the Portuguese loanee from Wolves tipped as on the edge of delivering “an absolutely top-class display”.
With Ferguson hoping to see all-round stand-out Dujon Sterling come into the key battle ground of midfield alongside John Lundstram he has tipped big-money January arrival Diomande to shift further forward in support of the attackers for his first Old Firm.
And it is at that end of the pitch he has his eye on the Gers players being the difference against Brendan Rodgers’ men.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News he said: “I’m looking forward to a big performance from Silva and Dessers.
“With Diomande I would play him a little bit further forward to get Sterling into that midfield.
“He was excellent, Diomande, against Hibs. He’s got a bit of pace about him, he’s got a fantastic engine, he’s got good quality. He’ll relish this game.
“So that’s the three, with Diomande from a slightly deeper role [than the two forwards].
“You look at Silva, he’s been kind of teetering on the edge of producing an absolutely top-class display.
“I’ve just got the feeling that Sunday could bring that out of the boy.
“And with Dessers, I love his attitude. He might miss one or two but I’m hoping he notches on Sunday.
“So I’m looking at those three as big players for Rangers.”
Wolves loanee one of three to be key for Rangers at Ibrox
A few things will need to fall into place for Ferguson’s plan to come together, including Ridvan Yilmaz’s fitness and Philippe Clement opting to use Sterling in the same way he was so effective in winning the Viaplay Cup.
The pundit has predicted Silva won’t be possible to keep in the summer when his loan comes to an end but if he can deliver a star showing in a game as crucial as this it would leave a lasting memory.
Despite endless injury issues at Ibrox he is far from the only one who has the capability to come up big in the derby, so this has to go down as a major opportunity to seize the initiative in the title race.
In other Rangers news, a pundit claims he would be furious if he was a Gers star after what has happened to him.
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