THE season is ending for Rangers in a familiar way, with manager Walter Smith fretting over injuries and the team still looking towards another championship as the action moves to Tannadice tonight and a game against Dundee United, who have beaten the Ibrox side twice this season.

There has been a major difference, however, to the usual scenario in that the Ibrox men have stumbled too often on the run-in to what they hope will be a ninth successive title, and now in these final few days of the season, they still search for that single, elusive point which will place them beyond the reach of Celtic.

Yesterday, as the realisation of the Motherwell defeat struck the players, manager Walter Smith remained confident that they would deliver the title through their own efforts.

He may be without Craig Moore, injured during the Motherwell match, while Jorg Albertz, also hurt in that match, is receiving treatment for a bruised foot. There remains, too, a worry over Paul Gascoigne, who only played in the second half against Motherwell and may be restricted to the substitutes' bench once more because of a thigh strain.

That is not the only trouble for the English midfield player because his booking against the Fir Park team carries him over the points limit, and he will start next season with a three-game suspension.

On tonight's game, Smith admits: ''We don't know whether Craig Moore or Jorg Albertz will be ready, while Paul Gascoigne, who wasn't fit enough for the full 90 minutes against Motherwell, will be the same for this match.

''I recognise that this will be the second match inside 48 hours for the players, but I don't see that as a factor which will go against us. To be honest, I'm glad it is coming on us so quickly because it doesn't give the players too much time to dwell on the last game, and the consequences of that result.

''Most of the players have been over this course before. They know what it means to win a championship. When we go in against Dundee United, we have to go in with the right attitude which is something which we did not do against Motherwell.

''We just didn't start playing until the second half, and we cannot afford to have that happen again.''

Smith has the belief that his players who have served him well in the past will do it again and he wants them to take the title by their own efforts.

''In almost all the big games we have had this season in the league,'' said Smith, ''they have been able to lift themselves and that's what we want from them again.

''We are disappointed by the way things went against Motherwell but we always knew that was a difficult game because they were fighting for survival in the premier division.

''The two remaining games won't be easy either and I don't care where it happens, where the title is won, as long as it does happen. The defeat against Motherwell was a jolt to the players and they know now that they have to go out and earn results even at this stage of the season, when everyone seems to think the title has been won already. Make no mistake, they want to win it, and they want to make up for that last result.''

That is where Smith's hopes for victory lie. He believes his players are capable of shaking off the hangover from the party which never was and return to the form they displayed in their previous two games, when they scored 10 goals without reply against Dunfermline and Raith Rovers. That was three weeks ago and that time without a game undoubtedly took the edge off the champions elect. We will see if they have regained that against a Tannadice team which has been more successful against them this season than any other side.

United will be without the defender Dave Bowman, injured at the weekend, and will now face a cartilage operation. Youngster Craig Easton, who played in the narrow win over Hearts, is having treatment for a bruised ankle but he and another of the Tannadice youngsters, Paul Black, may be used in the match, though Maurice Malpas will still be missing.

Manager Tommy McLean said: ''I'm still debating whether or not to play the young lads or keep them for the youth game against Celtic on Thursday when we can win the youth league title.

''We shall be playing for pride against Rangers, just as we will be against Celtic on Saturday.''