STUART McCALL has confirmed that Rangers are still paying money for all five of their loan signings from Newcastle United even though at least two of them now look certain to play no part whatsoever in the remainder of the season.

The news has been met with dismay by supporters' groups, who are demanding answers on who conducted the players' medical examinations prior to them arriving at the end of the January transfer window and fear the agreements covering the players' recruitment are merely more "onerous contracts" inherited by the current board.

Gael Bigirimana has been ruled out with a mystery medical condition that will prevent him from having any involvement while McCall clearly believes he will not be able to call upon Shane Ferguson, still to be seen at Murray Park, after he suffered a setback in his return from a knee operation.

Remie Streete remains sidelined through injury for another three weeks or so while Kevin Mbabu is nowhere near first-team levels of fitness after making two appearances for the Under-20s.

Haris Vuckic is the only one of the players parachuted in by chief executive Derek Llambias, currently suspended from his duties after being removed from the plc board, rated available for selection.

Llambias agreed to pay a contribution of their wages when bringing them north from Newcastle United, owned by known associate and Ibrox shareholder Mike Ashley, and McCall was clear when asked whether the club were still forking out that money.

"Yes," replied the Rangers manager. "The club is paying for them."

McCall, however, reports himself unable to figure out why these players were brought in when they clearly were not ready to make any kind of meaningful contribution.

"I don't know," he said. "We didn't have guys coming in who were hitting the ground running, being ready to play.

"Young Bigi has a medical condition that our consultant is dealing with, but he won't play for us this season.

"Shane had a minor setback a couple of weeks ago, so he won't be up with us for another couple of weeks. By then, he will have been out for five or six months, so he'll likely need another six weeks to get anywhere near being available. He looks a serious doubt to be involved."

Craig Houston, of the Sons of Struth supporters' group, does not believe Rangers should invest much hope in Ashley or Newcastle United changing the terms of those transfer agreements and wants to know whether their medicals were even conducted by Ibrox staff.

"At the time the deals were done, we had information that two of the players were weeks away," said Houston.

"On transfer deadline day, the only footage we had of the players was of them leaving Newcastle's stadium. I don't think they appeared at Auchenhowie before they had signed, so it leaves me questioning who carried out the medicals.

"It just seems like more onerous contracts we have been lumbered with through people looking after their own interests. If Mr Ashley did decide that offloading some injured players to Rangers until the end of the season was in his interests, I would doubt he will go back on that."

McCall believes the respective actions of Rangers and Hibernian in the transfer market have emerged as a major reason behind the clubs' contrasting fortunes since.

"Hibs are on a great roll and the key was the January window," he said.

"They brought in five players in and kept Scott Allan, a good young prospect. Rangers lost their good young prospect in Lewis Macleod and brought five young lads in from Newcastle. Only one of them has played."

Meanwhile, McCall has told his players they need to prove their promotion credentials at Easter Road on Sunday.

Rangers are looking to cut a six-point deficit on Hibernian in the top three of the Scottish Championship as the chasing pack behind Hearts fight for play-off places.

But they need to reverse not only recent form but their league record against Hibs.

Alan Stubbs' men have won seven matches in a row while Rangers have only won one out of their last nine games, while Hibs are 9-1 ahead on goals aggregate in the league games between the sides having won all three so far.

And McCall knows Rangers have to send out a message in Leith to give themselves belief ahead of the play-offs.

"I think that's a good point and exactly what we will be saying to the players," he said.

"We know in the three games this season Hibs have had a massive advantage.

"And, if we are going to succeed in our aim, which is to get promotion, then there's no doubt we will be meeting Hibs in a two-legger at some stage.

"So we have got to go and produce a performance that gets a result."

McCall toyed with the idea of showing his players where they went wrong against Hibs but decided not to risk damaging their fragile confidence any further.

"I watched both of the games back the other day but there's nothing I can really relate to," he said.

"Everyone knows at Easter Road we never turned up and Hibs were very good. The game here they played a different shape and there are little things I can take.

"But I don't want to be dooming and glooming them, we want to be positive about it. I certainly won't be showing them anything there."