PHILIPPE Clement has explained the reason that “emotional” Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers walked off the pitch during the Europa League win over FCSB last night – but insisted the player will learn from the “strange” incident.
The Nigerian internationalist left the field and walked up the tunnel due to a problem with his eye in the second half of the emphatic 4-0 triumph over the Romanian champions at Ibrox.
It took some time for Hamza Igamane, who completed the victory over the understrength visitors with his first goal for the Glasgow giants, to replace his fellow forward and Clement grew increasingly agitated in his technical area as the substitute got ready.
However, the Belgian revealed that Dessers had been upset that he was not able to continue up front due to his injury and had made his way straight down the tunnel to the dressing room.
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“Cyriel got a knock or a finger in his eye or something in his eye, so he lost sight,” said Clement. “He could not see good anymore. He was quite emotional about it because he wanted to stay on the pitch.
“But he didn't see anything, so he ran off the pitch. That was a really strange moment for me, but he apologised after the game. It's better than to sit down and give time for your team mate to come in.
“But it was in the emotion of wanting to win, wanting to react, wanting to play well, what he was doing also in the game. I have no problems with that. But it's good lesson also for this young squad in that way, to take every moment in a really professional way.”
He added: "I don't remember [it happening before] to be honest. But Cyril is somebody who has such a big passion for this club. He wants to give everything, every day in training, every game in that way. He felt he was really good in the game and he was. And it's hard to come off.
"And as a player, you can have an emotional moment. They're human beings. He will learn out of that. He learned already out of that because he came straight after the game towards me to talk about that. I think there's nobody in this room who never had an emotional moment in his life. So Cyriel had it.
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“Luckily for him, all the cameras are on top of him at that moment. So nothing done there. I hope we can get him fit for Sunday [Rangers play St Mirren in the William Hill Premiership at home on Sunday].”
Rangers playmaker Tom Lawrence failed to reappear for the second half of the FCSB league phase game and his place was taken by Mohamed Diomande – and Ibrox centre half Leon Balogun also had to be replaced by Robin Propper towards the end of the match.
“Leon cramped up so I don't think there will be a big problem,” said Clement. “I have more worries with Tom Lawrence, so we're going to see in the next couple of days what it's going to be. In a duel, somebody fell on him and he twisted his knee, so we will see in the next couple of days how serious that is.”
