Rangers v Hibs: Philippe Clement will drop NO.9 and unleash “important” £26k-p/w gem against Hibs

Rangers v Hibs: Philippe Clement will drop NO.9 and unleash “important” £26k-p/w gem against Hibs

Glasgow Rangers face a rapid turnaround in matches when they meet Hibs in the Scottish Cup this evening, just three days after drawing 2-2 with Benfica in Lisbon.

The outcome was outstanding, especially given how many wide players Philippe Clement was without, and attention has now shifted to domestic problems.

Overall, it was a strong team performance against the Portuguese giants, although there were a few players who could have contributed more.

Cyriel Dessers once again let the team down with a terrible performance leading the line, which could lose him his position against Hibs.

Cyriel Dessers’ game in numbers against Benfica

Despite scoring 16 goals this season, Dessers has missed more than his fair share of opportunities.

Indeed, the Nigerian has wasted 20 good chances in the league so far, demonstrating his unpredictability in the last third.

In midweek, the 29-year-old had only 17 touches in the game and failed to make a single shot or dribble successfully.

Cyriel Dessers’ statistics vs Benfica
Goals	0
Total shots	0
Dribble attempts (successful)	2 (0)
Touches	17
Total duels contested (won)	8 (2)
Via Sofascore

Dessers also won only two of the eight duels he contested because he was easily bullied off the ball,

and his performance in a Rangers shirt was awful once again.

He was substituted in the 76th minute for Kemar Roofe, and the Jamaican might be an ideal replacement against Hibs today.

Kemar Roofe could terrorise Hibs.

The 31-year-old is nearing the end of his £26k-per-week contract, and given his injury history, he is unlikely to be offered an extension.

Roofe has missed 96 games in his four seasons with the Light Blues, but when he is fit and ready to compete,

he is arguably one of the finest forwards at the club one of the finest forwards at the club.

A return of 38 goals in 96 appearances is not awful given his limitations, and he might still play a significant role between now and May.

Roofe, previously regarded as “important” by former manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, has scored twice this season,

with his most recent strike against Real Betis allowing the Light Blues to record a famous 3-2 victory in Spain,

advancing them to the Europa League’s final 16 as group winners.

However, he has not started a Premiership game since a 2-0 victory over St Johnstone in September,

and it may be a huge risk for Clement to throw him into the fray later today.

It could be a prudent decision, especially if he can get into the game,

because a fit Roofe is a very good player to have available and can certainly cause more difficulties than Dessers.

With Danilo still recovering from injury and Fabio Silva deployed on the left wing owing to player absences,

Roofe is the only realistic option to replace Dessers in the starting lineup.

The 31-year-old has two goals and two assists in five previous appearances against Hibs,

implying that he could be the ideal candidate to start up front for the Gers this evening.

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