Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny insists he is fit for the visit of Celtic after defending the decision to bench him for the 2-2 draw with Motherwell because he was ‘getting tired’.
The Czech is one of the players at the centre of a row over Philippe Clement’s decision to rest key players at a time when the Ibrox boss is fighting to save his job.
The Belgian was severely criticised for leaving Danilo and Nico Raskin out of a 2-1 defeat to St Mirren on Boxing Day.
Despite that set-back, he rotated his side once more by omitting Cerny and Hamza Igamane for the first half of the game at Fir Park.
Winless in his first six meetings with Celtic, trailing the league leaders by 14 points, Clement badly needs a win at Ibrox on Thursday to silence the growing clamour for his removal.
And, with both captain James Tavernier and goalkeeper Jack Butland set to miss the game, Cerny has declared himself fully fit to start after offering an unrepentant defence of Clement’s recent selection policy.
Vaclav Cerny was missed when he was left out of the Rangers starting line-up at Fir Park
Cerny has been a key man for Rangers manager Philippe Clement since joining on loan
‘There have been so many games,’ said the on-loan winger. ‘So we had a chat, not only with the manager, but with people around who take care of us.
‘I was okay, but I just said it because I was getting tired.
‘I think it’s pretty normal at this stage of the season.
‘I’ve never seen a player with this schedule who plays in every single game.
‘You guys are watching football all over Europe. It’s just normal.
‘I’ve never seen one player who played everything, and I think we make it much bigger than it is.
‘I’ve played every game for the national team. I’ve played every game for Rangers I was able to play. And we have a strong squad.
‘It’s normal to rotate. And it’s just the way it is.’
Clement claims the decision to rest players running the risk of burn-out was the ‘sensible’ course of action.
Former Rangers striker and Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd disagreed, warning the Ibrox boss that an over-reliance on the advice of sports scientists could lose him his job.
‘Look, I want to play every game,’ added Cerny. ‘But sometimes, as I said, it’s just not possible.
‘There is a huge game coming up (against Celtic) and I’m feeling much better.
‘And in the end, that was the point.
‘When we come in every single morning, we get questions about how we feel.
‘Some of us play a lot, some of us play less.
‘So every single day you talk about your program, what you’re going to do. It’s just those little conversations you have.
‘It’s just so normal not to start one of the 30 games. It shouldn’t be even a question.’
Signed on loan from Wolfsburg, Cerny has emerged as one of the few bright spots of a troubled season for Rangers.
Clement hopes Leon Balogun will be fit enough to plug the defensive gap left by Tavernier’s injury as the Ibrox side seek to avoid a 17-point deficit on Celtic at the halfway point of the season.
Cerny was brought on against Motherwell and helped Rangers fight back for a draw
‘I want people to think that I’m someone who can help this team every single game,’ added Cerny. ‘That’s what I’m trying to do.
‘But the other part I want to say is that we have a strong squad. I’ve played around 35 games.
‘Don’t get me wrong, maybe it’s 34 or 33, I don’t know!
‘There are other players who are coming back from injuries and need minutes. I’m also not the coach.
‘I was asked, and I said I was feeling a bit tired.
‘I think it’s pretty normal to still be able to go with the team and be able to help if possible.
‘But there is a choice to be made about not starting me and that’s it.’
French Ligue 2 side Metz, meanwhile, have joined Ligue 1 strugglers St Etienne in the quest to sign Cyriel Dessers.
The Nigerian international has slipped behind Igamane and Danilo in the Ibrox pecking order.
St Etienne, who are currently 16th in the French top flight, have been credited with a ‘strong interest’ in the 30-year-old striker.
And promotion-chasing Metz, currently third in the second division, are also exploring the possibility of a £3million bid this month.
