UCL: Rangers v VfB Stuttgart: Preview

19:45 UK Rangers - VfB Stuttgart

Rangers manager Walter Smith faces an anxious wait to discover whether captain Barry Ferguson will be fit for tomorrow's Champions League opener against Stuttgart at Ibrox.

The midfielder aggravated a knee ligament injury, which he had been carrying for several weeks, in training yesterday and now faces a late fitness test.

Ferguson was a surprise omission from the team which started against Hearts in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League at the weekend, with Rangers slumping to a 4-2 defeat.

He played the second half in Edinburgh but the reverse at Tynecastle, the first of the season for Smith's men, underlined the importance of the club captain's contribution with tomorrow night's game looming large.

``Barry will get treatment today and there will have to be a fitness test tomorrow before we know if he will be fit or not,'' said Smith.

``Obviously we hope he is. He has been playing for the last three weeks or so with this injury and it's just when he gets a little knock on it, as he did in training yesterday, that it becomes rather painful.

``We are hopeful it will settle down and he will be fit and will be able to play.''

Smith assured concerned fans that 29-year-old Ferguson's problem is not serious, adding: ``It's just a small ligament injury. If it was a major injury, he wouldn't have been able to play with it.

``It will clear up the longer he goes without getting a knock on it.''

The nerves which accompanied Rangers` Champions League qualifiers against FK Zeta and Red Star Belgrade may not be so prevalent against Stuttgart, now that Rangers have at least six guaranteed Champions League games to relish, but Smith warned against losing a competitive edge in the wake of the defeat to Hearts.

He said: ``I don't really want us to relax, no. We relaxed a bit on Saturday and that's as relaxed as I want us to get.

``If you are involved in a competition, you are involved in it to do well and you need your competitive edge to be there. The tension that's involved in the previous rounds is there because it's a knockout stage.

``But, because you are in a group section, it doesn't mean the competitive edge is not still there.''

He added: ``When you lose in the manner we did on Saturday, then any game would be a welcome one to try to show that we don't normally play in that manner.

``It was a disappointing result and performance but we can't be accused of playing in that manner on a regular basis.

``We have had some good form this season, and last season as well, so I hope we can show it was a slip-up on Saturday and we can get back on track again.''

Source: Soccernet.com