ALLY McCOIST has broken with recent tradition to agree to staging Rangers' home league fixture with Alloa Athletic next Saturday despite having three players called up for international duty.

The manager of the Ibrox club has asked for four of his team's matches to be called off in similar circumstances since they dropped into the bottom division of Scottish football two years ago and has admitted that it would seem unfair if they did not maintain that policy.

However, despite losing Lewis Macleod, Bilel Mohsni and Arnold Peralta to their countries, it was made clear to Alloa officials on Wednesday that Rangers will not take advantage of the FIFA rule which states that games may be postponed should one club have at least three players absent.

Rangers refused to comment on the reasons for their decision when contacted by Herald Sport last night with McCoist expected to address the issue at a press conference today. The SPFL League 1 champions required a £2m loan from the Newcastle United owner, Mike Ashley, to keep them afloat last month and calling off the Alloa game would have resulted in them having only one match at Ibrox on a Saturday - the league visit of Falkirk this weekend - in a six-week spell between October 18 and November 29.

"It is Rangers' call and we are not part of that decision-making process," said Mike Mulraney, the Alloa chairman. "We were pleased they decided they wanted to play the game, though. As a part-time team, we want to play games on Saturdays as we have enough in the way of midweek games with the cup competitions.

"Our boys are working and they have to give up shifts and organise time off to play midweek. We have so many games coming up that I don't suppose either of us would have benefited from another midweek fixture."

On the same day Rangers play host to Alloa, Hearts travel to Falkirk for a 5.30pm kick-off. That affords the Ibrox club the chance to reduce the gap at the top of the table to a point and increase the pressure on the Tynecastle club ahead of their game.

Macleod, of course, will be with the Scotland squad for their matches against the Republic of Ireland and England, but he expressed his view on the official club website that playing more matches on a Saturday will be a positive development.

"When you're playing and you're getting good results, it's good to keep going, but midweek games do have a wee effect on the body," he said. "We have got a normal schedule with games on a Saturday coming up. It will be good to get back into a regular routine."

Meanwhile, Mulraney has revealed that talks over the date for his side's Petrofac Training Cup semi-final with Rangers are close to delivering a resolution with a midweek date in early December looking most likely.

"There should be an announcement on that within the next day or so," said Mulraney. "Both clubs have more or less agreed it with the SPFL."

Rangers have confirmed they will host a tribute game between a Legends XI and an All Star team in honour of their former captain Fernando Ricksen, who continues to fight motor neurone disease. A date for the match will be announced soon.

David Somers, the Rangers chairman, said: "Everyone associated with Rangers Football Club is thinking of Fernando at this difficult time and it will be our pleasure to host this tribute game."

Ricksen will be a guest of the club for tomorrow's match against Falkirk.