Football: Routine day for Rangers

RANGERS will need to suppress their dreams of facing Milan in the European Cup final in Munich next month when they meet Motherwell in the more mundane quest for Premier Division points at Ibrox this afternoon, writes Rupert Metcalf.

Walter Smith's men need a maximum of eight points from their last eight games to seal a fifth successive title. The Rangers manager is aware of the special demands faced by his players, as they prepare for their 55th competitive game of the season.

'Where the mental aspect becomes a factor is in games less glamorous than the Marseille one,' Smith said. 'That's when they have had to show they can dig deeper.' David Robertson, with hamstring damage sustained in France, is a likely absentee, while Ally Maxwell may face his former team-mates if Andy Goram's swollen knee keeps him out.

Derek Ferguson, Hearts' former Rangers midfielder, arrived for training at Tynecastle yesterday despite being given indefinite compassionate leave by his manager, Joe Jordan, following the death of his seven-week-old daughter on Wednesday, after a heart operation. Ferguson is expected to play against Dundee today.