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Dundee v Rangers: John Nelms says game could be played next week if postponed again

Dundee v Rangers: John Nelms says game could be played next week if postponed again

Dens Park has had issues with waterlogging this season and was inspected twice before Saturday’s match

Dundee say their Scottish Premiership match game against Rangers will be rescheduled for next week should it be postponed by waterlogging on Wednesday.

But managing director John Nelms added “we’re as confident as we can be” that the match will go ahead as planned.

Rangers boss Philippe Clement called it a “crazy situation” and a “bad image for the league”.

“We are going to travel now and stay but we don’t know for sure if the game is on,” he said.

“We have to find a good solution to get this game played. If it was moved to next week we could find ourselves in the same situation once again if it rains.

“I want a decision today because you want to prepare, but both clubs and the league are in talks about that.”

Dundee’s 3-2 loss to Motherwell on Saturday went ahead despite similar fears, but more heavy rain is forecast.

“Luckily, we don’t play the split until the 27th, so we still have the 16th and 17th of next week,” Nelms said.

“I’ve been looking at a lot of forecasts, it’s supposed to be dry for the four days before that. We’ll see what happens in the next 24 hours.”

Rangers’ scheduled visit on 17 March was the fourth match postponed at Dens Park this season because of waterlogging.

With the Premiership due to split after this weekend’s fixtures, there is an urgency to have all teams having played 33 games by then.

However, Nelms told Sky Sports “there’s no other contingency plans” should the match be postponed again.

He stressed that “the timing of the rain is always an issue here” in three areas of the pitch that struggle to drain.

“The pitch didn’t look pretty, but it played well,” Nelms said of the defeat to Motherwell, which went ahead after two inspections and with the visitors expressing concerns over safety.

“It was safe under foot and ball rolled and bounced like it’s supposed to.

“We have done everything we can do to make the pitch playable and, right now, the areas of concern we have covered and have had covered since yesterday.”

Dundee, who visit Aberdeen on Saturday, are pressing for a place in the top half of the division and know one win from their next two outings will guarantee that.

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