Rae eyes Rangers return

Rangers are hoping to welcome back vice captain Alex Rae from injury when the Scottish Premier League resumes later this month.

The summer signing from Wolves tore a calf muscle in the 1-0 defeat at Celtic on August 29.

He is on course to make a return when Rangers travel to Motherwell on October 17 in the first game following the current international break.

“It takes a while for this injury to heal properly and I have been wearing a brace to help with the process,” he told Rangers News.

Fellow midfielders Dragan Mladenovic and Hamed Namouchi are also close to returns following knee injuries.

Rae is still suspended from European matches, though, as the five-match ban he received for kicking a CSKA Moscow player in the head in August has two games still remaining.

That means he will miss the first two UEFA Cup group stage games, away to Polish outfit Amica Wronki on October 21 and at home to Austrians Grazer AK on November 25.

Fitness permitting, Rae will make his UEFA Cup debut in Holland on December 2 against AZ Alkmaar.

He said: “The good news is that the team has been on a good run and qualifying for the group phase is obviously massive for everyone.

“Hopefully I can feature in the final two group matches.”

Namouchi’s injury occurred at the end of last season but the French-Tunisian is now almost ready for a comeback.

He said: “It has been hard but I am close now and hopefully I can really push myself into contention for a place in the first team squad.”