Smith relishing Rangers return

Rangers FC manager Walter Smith is relishing the "big challenge" his side face as they return to the UEFA Champions League after a season's absence by welcoming German title-holders VfB Stuttgart to Ibrox.

Tall order
With Olympique Lyonnais and FC Barcelona lying in wait in the weeks ahead, Smith accepts that repeating the achievement of two campaigns ago – when Rangers reached the first knockout round before losing to Villarreal CF on away goals – will be a tall order. Nonetheless, he is confident his players will rise to the task in Group E. "For us, it's a big challenge and one we look forward to," Smith said. "Anyone worth his salt would want to be involved in the Champions League. It's the best club tournament in the world and we're delighted to be involved."

Home help
Rangers overcame FK Zeta and FK Crvena Zvezda to make this stage although Smith recognises that the hard work starts now, explaining: "We have an extremely tough section and the teams we face won't be fazed at all by playing away from home. But we would hope that at Ibrox we could do well, and if we are going to achieve anything in the section our home form is something that will be vitally important."

Ferguson doubt
Smith, whose side lost 4-2 at Heart of Midlothian FC on Saturday, is without the suspended Lee McCulloch while captain Barry Ferguson aggravated a knee ligament injury in training on Monday. "Barry will get treatment and a fitness test on Wednesday before we know if he's going to be fit," said the manager. "He's been playing for the last three weeks or so with this injury and when he gets a little knock, it becomes rather painful. But hopefully it will settle down and he'll be able to play." The good news is that fellow midfielder Kevin Thomson has overcome a slight thigh strain.

Energie boost
Stuttgart – ninth in the Bundesliga – have arrived in Glasgow minus Thomas Hitzlsperger, the former Aston Villa FC midfielder having failed to recover from a toe infection; Ludovic Magnin also stayed in Germany because of a stomach complaint and is expected to be replaced at left-back by Arthur Boka. Having recorded their biggest victory of the season in defeating FC Energie Cottbus on Saturday, the visitors and their coach Armin Veh can be confident of getting a result in Scotland.

'Getting there'
"Obviously we have had a bad start to the season, mainly due to bad preparation, and we're not 100 per cent yet but we're getting there," said Veh, who identified Ferguson as Rangers' most important player. "The win against Cottbus helps and getting injured players back is another plus. We hope to play well against Rangers and continue our improved form. It wouldn't be a disadvantage [if Ferguson was unfit] but it's more likely he will play. He is their playmaker and can create dangerous openings, so we need to pay careful attention to him."