Football: Smith wary of wandering minds

WALTER SMITH, the Rangers manager, yesterday warned his players to take care of their own business at Ibrox tomorrow, and ignore the fact that their fate in the European Champions' League may be decided elsewhere.

Whatever the margin of their anticipated victory over CSKA Moscow at Ibrox, Rangers will not be appearing in the European Cup final in Munich next month if Marseille win the other Group A tie in the last round of the Champions' League, at Club Bruges.

'One of the biggest problems is that people might let their minds wander elsewhere. We can't afford to let that happen,' Smith said. 'We will have to depend on the result from Bruges, but I don't think we can let our minds wander over there until after it's all over.'

The Russians have picked up just one point from five starts in the Champions' League, and lost 2-0 at home to Lokomotiv Moscow last weekend to drop to 12th place in the 18-team Russian Premier Division.

Apart from the suspended Mark Hateley and the injured Gary Stevens, Smith has a powerful squad to choose from. Andy Goram, Dave McPherson, Richard Gough, David Robertson, Trevor Steven, Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant are all back in contention, after missing the win over Partick Thistle last Saturday. Partick could do Rangers a favour tonight - for if they take a point off Aberdeen at Firhill, the Ibrox club will be the Premier Division champions once again.

Elsewhere, Celtic may include Stuart Gray, the 19-year-old son of the former Leeds winger, Eddie Gray, against Falkirk at Parkhead. At Dens Park, Jim McLean, the long-serving manager of Dundee United, faces his last derby against Dundee before his retirement in the summer. One man who had been tipped as a possible successor, Jimmy Nicholl, is to sign a new two-year contract as manager of Raith Rovers, the new First Division champions.