Airdrie manager John Rankin has guaranteed fans that new signings will arrive at the club this week ahead of their Premier Sports Cup opener against Dundee on Saturday. The Diamonds travel to Dens Park for their first competitive match under Rankin's leadership.
Pre-season Build-Up and Trialists
Rankin fielded 12 trialists in a friendly defeat to Championship side Ayr United at Somerset Park, where Airdrie lost 2-1. The match served as preparation for the upcoming cup clash, with a trialist scoring a late consolation for the visitors. Rankin described the exercise as valuable, noting that Ayr are a well-established Championship team with experienced players like Luke McBeth and Reece Lyon.
“We still have a lot of trialists and we are trying to make decisions on them so, with that, comes a bit of nerves surrounding it because it is close to decision time,” Rankin said. “But I thought it was a great exercise. It was about seeing where we are in our journey and, overall, I was pleased with how we stepped up.”
Recent Signings and Injury Concerns
Left-back Henry James became Rankin's fifth signing after his release from Hearts, joining striker Dapo Mebude, midfielders Matty Yates and Ewan Simpson, and defender Sam Fisher. However, the squad is hampered by injuries to three of their most experienced players: Adam Devine, Dylan MacDonald, and Cole McKinnon. All three are currently unavailable for pre-season training.
Rankin acknowledged the setbacks but remained optimistic: “They are three of our most experienced players and out injured right now, unable to do any pre-season, so that doesn’t help. But we will get there and we will keep making progress day by day.”
Guarantee of Further Signings
With the competitive season fast approaching, Rankin stressed the need for more reinforcements. “We don’t have as many bodies signed as a lot of other teams at the moment. The majority in the second half were trialists so we need to make sure we make more progress this week ahead of the Dundee game,” he told Lanarkshire Live Sport. “We will sign players this week – that’s a guarantee – but we will make sure they are the ones who will make us stronger in the long run.”
Rankin added that while the team won't be the finished article by Saturday, he is focused on steady progress rather than panic signings. “The season is a marathon, not a sprint and we need to realise that. We won’t be the finished article against Dundee but we can’t be panicking into something we aren’t set on.”
Upcoming Match Details
The Premier Sports Cup opener at Dens Park kicks off at 3pm on Saturday and will be streamed live on the Premier Sports app. Rankin expects his side to compete despite the ongoing rebuilding process. “By no means are we comfortable. But I don’t like being comfortable anyway, I want us to push ourselves all the time,” he said. “I need to be patient with myself because we are building a completely new side. But I think you can see progress has been made.”
