McCoist and Salenko both passed fit for Euro test. Ibrox manager marshals his forces for Italian job

players who will fly out to Turin for the Champions' League showdown

with Juventus.

It remains to be seen which of these two players manager Walter Smith

will start the game with, but my money is on the Russian

internationalist with McCoist, who made the briefest of appearances at

Firhill as a substitute at the weekend, remaining on the bench.

Smith did not concern himself with pre-match excuses yesterday as he

was asked about the injuries which will leave him without Brian Laudrup,

Paul Gascoigne, Ian Ferguson, and Charlie Miller for the crucial Italian

job the Scottish champions face tomorrow night.

Instead, Smith looked at the positive aspects of his selection

problems and pointed out: ''I won't have to lose too much sleep this

time over the three foreigners' rule which has been a real dilemma in

the past. There are only four foreign payers listed in the pool and two

of them, Gordan Petric and Craig Moore, will both play.

''That leaves it as a straight choice between Oleg Salenko and Alexei

Mikhailichenko. There are no alternatives. I have to look at the way I

have had to do in other games this season. Losing Laudrup and Gascoigne

has been a blow, but it has meant fewer complications in my mind over

the team choice.

''For example, Moore goes in as a straight replacement for Alan

McLaren, which allows us to leave Stephen Wright in his usual position

and causes the minimum of adjustment to a defensive set-up which has

looked so solid for us so far.

''I don't have any worries about Moore going in alongside Petric and

Richard Gough because, after all, that is his original position. It was

as a centre-half that we signed the boy, but we have been forced to play

him out of position most of the time.''

Salenko will relish a return to the European stage and the European

style. The Russian has impressed more and more with each match in the

frantic atmosphere of the premier division.

In the more studied approach of the Continent he could blossom and his

reputation will precede him to Turin.

McCoist, in any case, has shown his value in stepping from the bench

this season for both Rangers and Scotland and that may linger in the

back of Smith's mind as he looks towards this game.

There has to be the hope in the Ibrox camp that they can snatch a goal

and maintain a challenge in their Champions' League group.

McCoist and Salenko carry that threat, as does Gordon Durie after his

Firhill hat trick.

Smith must marshal his forces well for this vital game and that is

what will be occupying his mind between now and the game.

Yesterday, the Ibrox manager was censured by the SFA for remarks made

to referee Kenny Clark after the 1-0 defeat the Ibrox side suffered at

home to Hibs.

The Edinburgh team's manager, Alex Miller, was given the same warning

for a similar offence.

But lower league managers, Tom Steven, of Cowdenbeath, and Billy

Kirkwood, of Dundee United, were dealt with more severely.

Both were fined #500 after a touchline bust-up when their respective

clubs met earlier in the season.

The Rangers players who will travel to Italy are:

Goram, Thomson, Scott, Petric, Gough, Moore, Wright, Robertson,

Cleland, McCall, Durrant, Murray, Bollan, Brown, Durie, McCoist,

Salenko, Mikhailichenko.