Weir wary of Kilmarnock's potential at Rugby Park

The Hoops had been buoyant following the high-profile capture of Robbie Keane but their bubble was burst just 24 hours later when they were beaten 1-0.

Rangers make the trip to Ayrshire hoping to increase their ten-point lead at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. But Weir, the SPL's player of the month, believes that advantage will count for nothing if they are not on top form against Jimmy Calderwood's men.

"All the games in the SPL are tough but the away games are particularly hard," said the Ibrox skipper. "You don't get any easy games and we know Kilmarnock always give us a game."

Killie boss Calderwood said: "We are under no illusions. Rangers have lost just one league game all season, at Aberdeen, and that is notoriously a difficult place for them to go as I know.

"They are a strong unit and you know that if you go behind against them then it is going to be very difficult, they don't have many goals scored against them. But we have nothing to lose.

"It is harder when St Mirren or Falkirk come to our place, no disrespect to those teams, but we are expected to win those games. Everybody expects us to lose against Rangers."

Rangers have confirmed that principal shareholder Sir David Murray has begun discussions with London-based property developer Andrew Ellis about a takeover of the Glasgow club.

New ownership could end a period of uncertainty for the Ibrox side, who are 31million in debt, have not recruited any new players since August 2008 and who are working to a business plan with Lloyds Banking Group but Weir said: "Nothing has changed for the players."

Walter Smith arrived for a second spell at the helm in January 2007 following the ill-fated Paul Le Guen regime. Weir added: "The club was in a bit of turmoil and he (Smith] has got it back on the straight and narrow.

"He's got us back winning trophies, competing in Europe and being involved in cup finals. It's all down to him.

"It's no coincidence that, since the moment he walked through the door, things have changed."

Weir will be 40 in May and will have to wait until the end of the season to discover whether he has a future at Rangers beyond the current campaign.

"It's not really my decision, it's somebody else's decision.

"I'll play until the end of the season and see what options I've got, if any, and take it from there. It's got to be over for me at some point so I'm not going to sit and worry about it.

"If you start worrying about the end of the season and that becomes the focus, you forget about what's important."