RANGERS manager Walter Smith was dealt a double injury blow with the news that Stevie Smith and new signing Kyle Lafferty have joined Barry Ferguson and DaMarcus Beasley on the Ibrox treatment table.
Full-back Smith, who missed the whole of 2007 with pelvic problems, has been ruled out for four to six weeks with an ankle injury sustained in training.
Lafferty, who cost £3million from Burnley this summer, missed the 3-1 friendly win against Lo
tte in Germany on Wednesday night with a back injury also picked up in training. The Northern Ireland striker will miss the first leg of the Champions League qualifier on 30 July – almost certainly against Kaunas following their 4-1 first-leg win over Santa Coloma in Andorra.
Skipper Ferguson is out for four months while he recovers from an operation on a troublesome ankle while Beasley is sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring injury picked up in a 1-0 friendly win against German side SC Preussen on Sunday.
Manager Smith revealed his frustrations at losing another two players as the new campaign looms ahead.
"It's another blow for Stevie Smith who has not had his troubles to seek in recent times but we wish him a speedy recovery," he told Rangers World.
"The Lafferty one is frustrating because when you sign a new player you want to bed him into the team quickly but he is at least another week away.
"I would have to say that he won't be available to us for the Champions League qualifier on 30 July."
The full article contains 267 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
