Source: Team_Talk
Smith ready to rest Gers stars
The Ibrox boss has a full squad to choose from "for the first time in a long time" ahead of Sunday's SPL clash against Hibernian.[LNB]The loss of key personnel in recent weeks, combined with a more compact squad than in previous years, means some players, such as Steven Davis and David Weir, have been forced to fill the void with little respite.[LNB]"It's a little bit of a problem that we have," Smith said.[LNB]"We have a smaller group of players and there is a burden falling on quite a number of them at the present moment with the number of matches that they have to play.[LNB]"Hopefully we can start to get them a little bit of a break here and there if we can get everybody else in the team fit because we have been asking a lot of a smaller group of players with the amount of midweek matches we are having.[LNB]"Normally in January and February, we are only looking at having one game a week but we have basically been playing two games a week since the turn of the year.[LNB]"It's put a little bit of a strain on the lads and hopefully that can be alleviated shortly."[LNB]Despite admitting that recent weeks have resulted in more games than he would have anticipated at this time of year - having been forced to a replay against Hamilton in the Active Nation Scottish Cup and now facing a similar scenario with St Mirren - the Rangers boss insists there is no chance of the Scottish champions experiencing the crippling fixture congestion of 2008 when they battled for silverware on four fronts.[LNB]"That was a one-off," said Smith.[LNB]"I don't think anybody can say that what happened to us a couple of seasons ago is going to happen again. We've got no European football so that alleviates it to start with.[LNB]"Both Gus MacPherson and myself would be agreed that we don't fancy a replay but we've got to do it."[LNB]David Wotherspoon has been in every Hibs squad this season but he still checks the list on the changing room wall every week to make sure he is in.[LNB]The 20-year-old has graduated from the club's all-conquering under-19 team with flying colours, despite playing out of position at right-back.[LNB]"I realised at the weekend that I've been in the squad every game this season," Wotherspoon said.[LNB]"I'm pretty proud of myself for that and pretty pleased that the manager's got faith in me and stuck me in there.[LNB]"I always check when I go in the changing room, just to see what time I have to be there or if I'm in the squad."[LNB]Indeed, Wotherspoon still gets a twinge of excitement and relief whenever selected.[LNB]"It's always a buzz when you see your name on the teamsheet or when the squad's announced and you're in the starting XI," he said.[LNB]Wotherspoon played in December's 4-1 home thrashing at the hands of Rangers and said ahead of tomorrow's trip to Ibrox: "I think we'll be out there to prove a point."[LNB][LNB] Rangers v Hibernian. Click here to bet.
