Hamza Igamane set for Rangers debut as Philippe Clement issues multi-position update
Philippe Clement has confirmed that Hamza Igamane is closing in on his first involvement for Rangers since signing in the summer.
The Gers boss spoke said on 23 August that the Moroccan striker is some way off being fully ready still but could be brought off the bench for some late minutes in the near future.
Igamane, 21, hasn’t even been part of a match day squad yet, including through preseason, approaching two months after his signing was confirmed on 5 July, with Cyriel Dessers the only fully-fit centre forward amid Danilo’s own fitness struggles after injury.
Clement said, via Rangers Review: “It will be a few weeks. But maybe in the meantime I put him on the bench for 5 or 10 minutes. It can be possible. But he needs some time to grow.
“But everybody here in the team, they see the small spaces a lot of good things. Now to show it on a bigger space. Because he plays on a big space.
“I’m confident he’s going to make an impact on this season also. With his scoring capacities. Is it as a striker or as a winger? It can be in both positions.”
Cyriel Dessers remains only fully-fit Rangers striker
Whatever the plan was when money was spent to bring in the young striker this summer it hasn’t worked out.
Although the youngster was seemingly never expected to be an immediate first-team fixture Clement would surely have expected him to at least play some minutes for the B Team or make the bench for the senior side.
The Light Blues blocked Igamane from being selected for the Olympics, in a decision which risked causing upset with the new signing according to Ibrox News pundit Derek Ferguson, but now appears to have been irrelevant.
Clement likely hoped to get a new senior striker in this summer but with Sam Lammers already sold and Danilo coming off most of a season out hurt it would surely have taken a Dessers sale to make it happen.
Chris Jack of Rangers Review reported on 7 August that interest from various clubs around Europe hadn’t seen bids materialise, while journalist Luca Bendoni reported on 20 August that the Nigerian international had turned down a move to MLS.
He has done a reasonable job of leading the line in the absence of any viable alternatives, as he did for most of last season, but remains just short of the required quality to be the regular starter.
Igamane arrived with high hopes behind him [4th Official, 18 June] and may still prove to be a coup of a signing, but his first weeks in Scotland have been confusing from the outside looking in.
In other Rangers news, a Light Blues attacking ace is to be used as a makeweight to secure a new signing before the deadline.
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