Smith's players will have to reach new heights of achievement in Turin

if they are to negotiate safely their journey which begins from Glasgow

this morning.

WALTER Smith was due a break. He had returned from a flying visit to

Italy where he watched Juventus play against AC Milan and was in time to

explain to the SFA his conduct during a recent premier division match.

Then he had to look at his injured players -- Paul Gascoigne, Brian

Laudrup, Charlie Miller, and Ian Ferguson -- and wonder what the future

held.

The Rangers manager, who will have trouble presenting a potent threat

to the Italian champions in the Stadio Delle Alpi tomorrow night because

of injuries to these key players and the suspension of one other, Alan

McLaren, was beginning to think the fates had turned against him.

However, news from Turin last night may have convinced him that he has

not been forsaken completely. Gianluca Vialli's misfortune could be

Smith's lucky break.

The Juventus captain, who cost #12m when bought from Sampdoria almost

three-and-a-half-years ago, was taken off just after half-time in the

game against Milan on Sunday and his thigh injury will not clear up in

time for him to play against Rangers in the Champions' League match.

Also, Vialli's front line accomplice, Fabrizio Ravanelli, is racing

against time to be fit.

He hobbled off in the San Siro at the same time as Vialli, who will be

out for a week, also suffering from a muscle strain but he is determined

to play. In fact, he says he will take a pain-killing injection if

necessary.

''The Champions' League is our priority this season and with Rangers

missing a few of their better players this is an opportunity to make

sure we qualify for the final stages,'' Ravanelli said. ''I am prepared

to play even if I am not fully fit.''

His determination to take part is typical of the spirit which has been

rekindled within the Juventus squad as a consequence of the 2-1 defeat

in Milan where they had to endure the jeers and taunts of the San Siro's

regulars. Juventus played poorly in the first half and dropped two goals

behind after only 14 minutes.

They performed much better in the second half with Alessandro Del

Piero scoring late in the game, but the defeat pained them deeply as

their keeper, Angelo Peruzzi, attempted to explain. ''We have been given

back some of our humility.

''We were all beginning to think we were like gods because recently we

had received only praise for our wonderful play. Milan have reminded us

what can happen when you believe more than is true.''

Yet, ironically, several Rangers players may have to be convinced they

are better than they actually are because, even though Juventus have

lost one of the most complete players in European football, in Vialli

they remain formidable. Smith's players will have to reach new heights

of achievement in Turin if they are to negotiate safely their journey

which begins from Glasgow this morning.

Marcello Lippi, the Juventus coach, had some harsh words for his

players and his anger was still simmering yesterday. ''If we play like

we did in the first half in Milan we will lose to Rangers also,'' he

said.

''We lost our positive mentality. It was a terrible Juventus that

everyone saw.''

Lippi added that another Champions' League match so soon after defeat

should be enough to bring out the best in his side, which is likely to

discard the favoured 4-3-3 formation for 4-4-2 in the absence of Vialli.

Still, a twin strike-force of Ravanelli and Del Piero is a powerful

weapon. After all, it was the emergence of Del Piero, who will be 21

next month, which encouraged Juventus to sell Roberto Baggio to Milan at

the end of last season.

Antonio Conte, who went on when Vialli departed on Sunday, will remain

in the midfield line, probably along with Paolo Sosa, Angelo Di Livio,

and Didier Deschamps. It is in Rangers' favour, of course, that Lippi

has been unable to use Vladimir Jugovic and Attilio Lombardo because of

injury, yet Smith suspects it may still require a performance of

extraordinary courage to subdue Juventus. They have already beaten

Borussia Dortmund away and Steaua Bucharest at home but feel they must

regain pride which was lost on Sunday.

Andy Goram, Richard Gough, and Gordan Petric, who have been the

inspiration for Rangers so far, face their most significant test. It

will be up to them, and probably Craig Moore to deal with the threat of

Juventus because, as Smith says, the Italians must be beaten.

''We must be looking to take three points from them, three more from

Steaua at Ibrox, and then maybe a draw against Borussia in Germany,''

the manager said. ''I know how that sounds, but it can be done.

''I still say the margin for error in European competition is slight

even though people make sweeping judgments comparing our game to the

European. The smallest things can make the biggest differences.

''We could have come out of Bucharest with a draw and no-one could

have grudged us a win against Dortmund. Instead, we have only one

point.''

Like Lippi, the Ibrox manager has reached the stage of dismissing

injury problems preferring to dwell on the positive and he takes heart

from the fact that his team are difficult to beat. They can take a lot

of punishment and are liable to hit back as they did against Aberdeen

recently.

Smith had to play at least seven who are defenders and the same will

have to be done tomorrow. ''I think, though, that we have a bit more

resilience than some people think,'' Smith said.

''Defenders have been our most influential players so far and the

likes of Gough and Goram have given everyone else confidence.''