KEVIN Thomson has admitted he will miss the start of the SPL title defence this weekend - but hopes to have some part of the Falkirk game.
Thomson linked up with the rest of the squad at the beginning of pre-season after recovering from a cruciate ligament injury sustained in November last year.
But the 24-year-old has still to build up his match fitness ahead of Saturday's opening encounter with The Bairns
He said: "I'm probably a couple of games away from being fully fit and when I play again I'm still going to be ring-rusty.
"Hopefully I'll still be involved and be part of the squad but Saturday might be just too soon."
Walter Smith has used Thomson sparingly in their pre-season campaign as the Rangers manager bids to gradually reintroduce him to the team.
Smith gave Thomson four appearances of 45 minutes or less in the official friendlies before handing him a longer run-out in a closed-doors match against Hamilton on Monday.
And the former Hibernian captain knows he has some way to go to convince Smith he is ready for competitive action.
"I tell him every day that I'm ready but he sees in training that I'm not," Thomson added.
"He knows the standard I can play and he knows I'm a wee bit off the pace of the rest of the boys.
"I've taken part in almost 90% of pre-season and I haven't played the game time that the rest of the boys have played, so naturally I'm going to be a bit behind them but I'm working hard.
"I know I'm not going to go straight back in and set the heather on fire. I need to find my feet again - but I'll be working as hard as I can."
