Steven Gerrard will be “desperate” to get Cedric Itten fit and firing on all cylinders again after missing out against Hamilton at the weekend according to former Rangers right-back, Alan Hutton.
Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton reveals the pressure that is on players to make an immediate impact when they sign for a new club and feels that this could have played it’s part in the Swiss international suffering a calf strain.
So what has Hutton said?
When asked about the striker’s absence, having shown signs of a decent partnership with Kemar Roofe against Kilmarnock, he said:
“This is the problem, when you sign for a team and you’re not fit at the beginning, or you miss a pre-season, it’s difficult because you’re trying so hard to get to a certain level.
“Obviously Roofe and himself were working incredibly hard, doing extra, playing games, bounce games, to get to the level of the rest of the team.
“It can always happen, it happens a lot, you push yourself that little bit too hard and then you have a setback. Ultimately it makes it even harder for you.
“With new signings like that it’s about taking your time, as much as you’re desperate to play, and we all know they are and Gerrard will be desperate, obviously with the Morelos situation, to get him fit and firing.
“Sometimes you have to give him the extra week. Maybe now it’s about stepping back, getting over the injury and then just work it how you need to to get him to a certain level.”
So is Hutton correct?
If it had been Kemar Roofe that had broken down he would have a valid point, however, Itten arrived at Rangers fresh off completing the domestic season in Switzerland with St Gallen, the £3.6million rated striker would only have needed time to adapt to his new surroundings and style of play before he made a match day squad.
Who will score more goals this season?
Cedric Itten
Kemar Roofe
Alfredo Morelos’s transfer situation accelerated his promotion to the starting XI and he did enough to suggest that he could be a decent bit of business by the Rangers recruitment team.
As it is, the 23-year old has only suffered a minor injury and should be back to face Dundee United at Ibrox once the international break is over, another couple of weeks getting to work with his new manager alongside Roofe and Ryan Kent could well work in the Gers gaffer’s favour as he looks to sharpen up his attack.