Fri Oct 31 13:15:53 2008

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Rangers ready to welcome back Ferguson

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Glasgow, Scotland (Sports Network) - When Rangers welcomes Inverness to the Ibrox Stadium on Saturday, they will be doing so with their captain, Barry Ferguson, in the lineup for the first time all season.

Manager Walter Smith has yet to decide if he will put his skipper in the starting 11, but Ferguson is at least expected to make his first appearance of the season, something that striker Kris Boyd feels will provide the team with a huge boost.

"It's a massive boost for the squad that Barry is back and once he gets his match sharpness he will be a real asset," Boyd told the club's official website. "Getting the captain back is terrific. Apart from anything else he has fantastic ability and he has a big influence on the team."

Boyd has also been a big influence since he announced his decision to quit the Scotland national team two weeks ago, scoring three times in his last two games.

"I managed to get a couple of goals last week and I scored again during the week which was good. Hopefully I can continue that on Saturday - if I play.

"When you are a striker you want to score week in, week out. The gaffer has options and you have to prove that you deserve your place."

Rangers sits in second place, three points behind Celtic with a game in hand, and they will be expected to pick up three more points on Saturday against an Inverness side that has dropped its last four games and is only one point from the bottom.

A win would pull them level with Celtic for one day, until the Hoops visit Hearts on Sunday.

Kilmarnock is third but sits nine points off the pace, making a win at Aberdeen important, while last-place Hamilton visits Motherwell, St Mirren entertains Hibernian and Falkirk tries to move further from the bottom with a win at home against Dundee United.