Rangers striker Cedric Itten was pictured in training on Friday as he eyes a rare start in the League Cup Last 16 tie against Falkirk [Rangers.co.uk].
Itten signed for the Gers from St Gallen in August for a reported 2.7m [Sky Sports] after scoring 19 goals in the 2019/20 Swiss Super League season.
The 6ft 2″ forward was brought in on the same day as Kemar Roofe as the Gers considerably bolstered their attacking options.
Since then, Roofe has been given much more playing time and he scored a stunning goal in Thursday night’s 2-2 draw with Benfica while his fellow summer signing watched on from the bench.
Their roles are likely to be reversed this weekend, though, with a League Cup fixture against third-tier opposition giving Steven Gerrard an opportunity to rotate.
While a number of first-team players were nowhere to be seen, Itten featured prominently in a training gallery released by the club on Friday night, as preparations were stepped up ahead of the trip to the Falkirk Stadium.
Jermain Defoe was put up for press yesterday and is likely to start but Itten should either partner him up top or take up the right-sided attacking berth that he performed so well in at Kilmarnock at the beginning of the month.
The 23-year-old Swiss international isn’t yet the finished article and his playing time is likely to be restricted over the course of the season, particularly if Alfredo Morelos stays beyond January.
However, he’s got all the raw attributes to be an excellent player for the club in the years to come, with his stunning strike at Motherwell in September giving Gers supporters an exciting taste of what’s to come.
Sunday brings a perfect opportunity to give the powerful striker just his fourth start in a Rangers shirt and he’ll no doubt fancy himself to get on the scoresheet against lower-league opposition.
