reporter Stephen McGowan believes it “may now be unavoidable” to select Danilo up top in place of Cyriel Dessers for Rangers’ crunch Champions League tie with Servette.
Dessers was on target in the Gers’ 2-1 win in last week’s third-qualifying round first-leg tie at Ibrox, but he has fired blanks in his first two Scottish Premiership starts.
The summer signing wasted one big chance in particular, whereas fellow new recruit Danilo converted a Borna Barisic cross after being shifted into a central position once Dessers had been substituted off.
Michael Beale has a huge selection call to make at Stade de Geneve on Tuesday (14 August), and McGowan may have backed Danilo to get the nod over Dessers.
McGowan said in his match verdict piece for the Scottish Daily Mail (14 August, The Verdict, pg 6): “The arrival of (Rabbi) Matondo on the left saw Danilo move inside where the Brazilian seemed to come alive.
“Signed from Cremonese for £4.5m, a decision to leave out Dessers and play Danilo through the middle may now be unavoidable.”
Dessers was given a rating of four by the publication for his performance against Livingston – the lowest of any Rangers player – compared to 6.5 for Danilo after he sparked into life late on.
Nigeria international Dessers really should have opened his league account for the season, only to fire a shot from close range straight at Ayo Obileye – a miss that left Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd stunned.
Meanwhile, Dessers bore the brunt of the criticisms but Brazilian Danilo believes the pair can form a fruitful partnership.
“It’s early in the day and we’re still getting to know each other. We still have to properly click. But he’s a great striker and I’m really glad that we can play together and help each other.”
Danilo is also spending extra hours away from the pitch to learn more about the roaming role Beale wants him to
play.
