Ally McCoist has admitted behind-the-scenes upheaval at Ibrox will have to be sorted out before Rangers can be ready for next season.

The club lost Murray Park's technical director, Tommy Wilson, to a job in Amercia earlier this month and this week released experienced physiotherapist Pip Yeates. The club's chief scout, Neil Murray, has been suspended while an investigation is conducted into allegations relating to transfer activity. Striker Francisco Sandaza is also currently the subject of an unrelated club suspension – now into a second week – for revealing his salary and his willingness to leave Rangers in a hoax phonecall which was broadcast over the internet.

McCoist would not go into detail over Murray or Sandaza but the lack of stability at the club has caused him anxiety. "I am concerned that we have to be in a position ready to go for the start of the season," he said. "That is my concern.

"Neil is a sensitive situation which I can't comment on at the moment. The outcome [of that investigation] will affect plans, there's no doubt about that. We'll have to look at the decision that is made at the end of that case as well, and we will then react accordingly. We need decisions made and we need them made yesterday, because we are aware of the importance of the next few months in terms of looking at free transfers."

McCoist said Sandaza's suspension was still in place. "I don't think there is a time scale but I think it would be in everybody's best interests if there was a decision made sooner rather than later. These are things that have been thrown at us certainly aren't the norm but, in the grand scheme of the last 18 months, nothing surprises me or shocks me, so we will just need to meet everything that is coming our way head on.

"There's no doubt being an Old Firm manager you've got to have a layer of thick skin. I'd like to think over the last 18 months there are a few layers that have been added. Criticism is certainly part and parcel of the job but what we've had to deal with over the last 18 months or so isn't the normal part of the job."

Rangers will become third division champions today if they win at Montrose, which kicks-off at noon, and Queen's Park drop any points in their 3pm home game against Elgin City. They have been on the brink of that achievement for so long it was barely mentioned by McCoist yesterday. He talked instead of rebuilding his squad for next season and specifically the pursuit of Jon Daly, the Dundee United striker. That has generated some minor interest on the basis that Daly would be the first senior player ever signed by Rangers from a Republic of Ireland, Catholic background.

"It is 2013 for goodness sake," said McCoist. "We want to move along with the times. I couldn't give a monkeys. I'd sign anyone from anywhere. Look at the position we're in. I don't want to make it sound that's why we're going for Jon – it's not, far from it – but who am I to pick and choose who would be able to come to this football club? I would try to sign absolutely anybody that we think has got the talent and would be good enough to play for Rangers.

"I knew it wouldn't be an issue for the big fella and it's certainly not an issue for us. That was a hundred years ago. Since Maurice Johnston we've had Italian Catholics, you name it, so it ain't a problem. We have a young goalkeeper from the Republic of Ireland. It's certainly not been an issue in our time and it will continue absolutely not to be an issue."

Ian Black will return to the squad today having been suspended against Stirling Albion last week for a red card received in the win at Elgin City. Black held referee David Somers accountable for that. "It is a contact sport and the first booking was a silly one, but the second one the referee can be a bit embarrassed about his decision. There are maybe certain referees that have a wee grudge but I have just got to deal with that. I think referees get excited. They have the crowd in there and the atmosphere and I think that sometimes they react to all of that.

"It comes across that the referees want their decisions to be spoken about rather than the football. It ends up with their decisions on the back pages rather than the football."

Dean Shiels, Lewis Macleod, Andy Little and Ross Perry will be absent today, although David Templeton is available again. McCoist said he had too few players available to pick his team based on the fact Montrose have an artificial surface. "The pitch would come into my thinking normally, but due to numbers I couldn't care if we're playing on red ash. Anyone that's fit will be involved.

Rangers announced they will play Linfield at Ibrox on Wednesday, April 10.