PEDRO CAIXINHA is confident Carlos Pena’s efforts at Auchenhowie will pay off for Rangers this season as he attempts to finally make his mark in Light Blue.

The midfielder put pen-to-paper on a three-year contract at Ibrox when he completed a move from Chivas Guadalajara in June.

But he has just one competitive appearance to his credit so far after coming on for the final minutes of the Premiership defeat to Hibernian a fortnight ago.

Compatriot Eduardo Herrera has also yet to fully get up to speed in Glasgow and he missed the draw with Hearts at the weekend.

Rangers return to league action with a trip to Ross County on Sunday and boss Caixinha believes two of his main summer recruits will shine this season.

“You know that sometimes when you organise the squad or the list of the players that go from one game, you look about at the options that you have on the bench in order to change the course of the game,” he told RangersTV.

“Because we just had two substitutions on the last game, we saw how the game was going and I really thought about Carlos Pena on the last 10 minutes, but I saw that the team was getting there and just making one chance so I don’t want to do it.

“Carlos is working hard so is Herrera. I know them very, very well and I know that they are going to help us as a team and, of course, as individual players they are going to do very good in Scottish football.

“We just need to know the exact moment to release them and give them the chance to do it. But they are really working hard and I think that they are at the same level as the others at the moment.”

Boss Caixinha is still sweating on the fitness of Josh Windass ahead of the County clash after he sustained a rib injury in the draw with the Jambos.