STEVEN Gerrard is hopeful of arranging another friendly match before the Premiership kicks off on August 1 so that his entire squad are fully fit for the upcoming campaign.
Rangers start their tilt at the title against Aberdeen at Pittodrie this coming Saturday but the Ibrox manager is hopeful of squeezing in another warm-up match before the season formally begins.
The Govan outfit chalked up their fourth consecutive pre-season win with a 2-0 home victory over Coventry City, where Joe Aribo and Connor Goldson got the goals.
The four games Gerrard’s side have played so far this summer should give the Rangers boss plenty to be pleased with – but he insists that he is more concerned with how the team plays and getting his players match-fit than the numbers emblazoned on the scoreboard at the end of each game.
“I don’t think the results are super important at the moment,” he said. “It’s more about getting minutes and valuable game-time for the players, getting them ready individually for a long season.
“In terms of the results and performances we’re pretty content and happy. We hope to try and get another friendly in place for Tuesday.
“Some of the lads haven’t started as many games as we would have liked during the course of pre-season so hopefully we can get that in place for Tuesday afternoon but we’ll see.”
Speaking after his side’s win at Ibrox, Gerrard singled out Aribo for praise after another eye-catching display from the Nigeria internationalist playing slightly further up the park.
Gerrard continued: “Wherever we play Joe he always tries to make things happen.
“He's come back in a fantastic place. He's come back fitter, he's come back focused and all I ask is that he takes his pre-season performances into the season because if he does, he's going to be a major help for us.
“He gives us more creation in midfield by dropping down a line. But he's more than capable of playing anywhere you put him as he's so talented.”
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