Smith to wait on Gers pair
19 Jul 2007 - 12:20:41
Rangers manager Walter Smith has revealed he is unlikely to have injured duo Steven Smith and Thomas Buffel available until at least September.
Defender Smith has been out of action with a long-term pelvic injury since last December, while Buffel missed the second half of last season with a knee problem.
Both players remained in Glasgow when the Gers jetted off on a pre-season tour of Germany this week and Smith doesn't expect either to be fit until the second month of the new campaign.
"Stevie and Thomas will start training next week," he revealed.
"Both of them have been out for a long time so I think it will take them between a month and six weeks to reach the necessary level of fitness and match fitness.
"Within this period we will effectively be giving them a pre-season training and hopefully they will get back into a rhythm as quickly as possible."