Smith gives seal of approval

Rangers manager Walter Smith praised his threadbare side for producing the goods against Aberdeen as his injury worries continue to mount. He was able to name just six substitutes for the visit of the Dons in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash, with Maurice Edu and Sasa Papac already ruled out and Kyle Lafferty a late addition to the injury list. "Steven Naismith got a nasty knock on his shoulder in the last minutes of the game and Kirk Broadfoot got a kick on the foot that had been causing him a problem a few weeks ago," he said. "The physios are looking at them and I'm not quite sure how they are. I'll have to wait and see." He added: "We've got quite a few injuries, not just to the more recognised first-team squad. Our younger group also has one or two injuries as well. "Kyle Lafferty got injured in training on Friday so we were a little bit depleted but our group responded very well and I felt they played well. We introduced one or two players and John Fleck came in and had a good game. "So, from our own point of view, we've got to be pleased with the way we managed to handle it." Edu is expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks after a scan on his knee but Lafferty is not a major concern, with a crucial Champions League game against Manchester United looming this month. Smith added: "We've got a week's break now and I hope that some of the injuries will clear up. "Kyle Lafferty was just a knock on the foot and he should be fit for the next game. That kind of thing will start to fall into place. "Sometimes, when they mount up it becomes a little bit of a problem and that was the problem, but we managed to handle it very well."

Source: PA