Van Bronckhorst set for early return

Dick Advocaat has admitted that midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst could return to the side ahead of schedule.

The Rangers manager is confident that the Dutch international will return from the groin injury which has kept him out of action since October in time to face Aberdeen on January 31.

Advocaat could be set for a double boost with the news that defender Craig Moore could be ready to return after 10 months on the sidelines.

He told the club website: "Moore's recovery has been very good and although we have to be careful with him because he has been out for so long, I'm hopeful he will be ready for the re-start.

"We need to be similarly careful with Giovanni because he has also missed quite a long period but, again, I'm thinking that there is a chance for him to play in the Aberdeen game and that is also a great boost.

"We have a number of suspensions for that match so it would be excellent if we could have him back in the side."

Barry Ferguson, Jorg Albertz and Claudio Reyna will all miss the Dons game on January 31 while Ferguson and Reyna also sit out the Dunfermline game four days later.

Should Fernando Ricksen lose his appeal against SFA suspension on January 30 following the incident with Darren Young at Pittodrie then he will also be ineligible for the Aberdeen match so Rangers will be stretched.

Meanwhile, Rangers striker Michael Mols believes his rest in the Florida sunshine will help him return to form.

"I'm totally convinced I can get to the level I know I can play at," said Mols.

"There are no problems with my knee in terms of fluid or anything else. It's just been a case of trying to get the rest of my body to do what I want on the field.

"I was out of the game for 10 months and that is a long time but I'm sure I will be a lot stronger in the second half of the season.

"I have had a great rest and by the time we get back into action I would have had almost four weeks without a game, but I will be putting in a hard shift here in America to make sure I'm ready.

"I still feel Michael Mols can play a major role in the next few years at Rangers."