With a place at Hampden Park and a shot at silverware on the line, Philippe Clement may have reservations about shuffling his Rangers pack too much.
Still, former captain Barry Ferguson feels that a Dundee side with only one win in five Scottish Premiership appearances may be the ideal opposition for a Rangers side who will obviously be mindful of the risk of burning out a few key players.
John Souttar, his form improving by the week, has played every one of the 720 minutes available to him this season.
Connor Barron has been an almost ever-present too, while another injury blow for Danilo leaves Rangers more over-reliant than ever on the ever-inconsistent Cyriel Dessers in the centre-forward role.
In fact, the only time Dessers has not started so far in 2024/25 was in the previous round of the Scottish League Cup. And Philippe Clement still felt the need to call upon his services from the bench, Dessers opening the scoring 16 minutes after his introduction.
But, after a couple of eye-catching substitute appearances, Ferguson wonders if this is the right time for Rangers to trial Hamza Igamane from the start.
Rangers urged to consider Hamza Igamane start vs Dundee
After replacing Dessers in the 65th minute in Sunday’s 1-0 win at Dundee United – and making quite the impression with his supreme chest control and almost Alfredo Morelos-esque physicality – the £1.7 million signing from RAF Rabat might just have earned himself the biggest break yet in his embryonic Rangers career.
“I’m very curious to see if there is a starting place for Hamza Igamane after an interesting couple of cameos from the Moroccan in the last two games against Celtic and United,” Ferguson, a five-time Scottish Premiership champion in his royal blue hayday, tells the Daily Record.
“I can see why the fans are excited by this young man because he’s explosive, built, and looks like a talented boy with the ball at his feet. These are all the raw ingredients you’re looking for in a Rangers striker.
“And this might be an ideal chance to give him a run out and allow big Cyriel Dessers to rest his legs after so long, as the only fit and available number nine.
“Dessers would say otherwise, I’m sure. As players, you’re never happy to sit games out. But he deserves a break when he can get one, and maybe the arrival of Igamane might also give him a new spark in terms of competition for a starting place.
“Most of all though, Saturday is about lighting a fire back in the old place. It’s time for the Rangers we know to come home.”
Is there a new Alfredo Morelos at Ibrox?
Rangers are one of eight sides remaining in the League Cup, alongside Old Firm rivals Celtic, Aberdeen and Motherwell. Clement’s team are currently the holders of the trophy, having defeated the Dons thanks to a James Tavernier winner last December.
It was Ferguson’s former team-mate Kenny Miller, meanwhile, who first made those Morelos comparisons back in the summer.
A maiden Rangers goal against Dundee at Dens Park would go some way to proving he can be as much as a bargain as Morelos turned out to be following his £1 million move from HJK Helsinki.
“Any Rangers fan, you are trying to get positives at the start of the season. You don’t want to get carried away. But, the boy Igamane, he is the best player in the world!,” former Gers ace Andy Halliday tells the Open Goal Podcast on YouTube.
“He looked really good, I thought, when he came on. Look, it’s been two minute cameos. But you can see when he came on, (he is) really powerful.”
