ONCE the most crowded place in the SPL, Walter Smith's treatment room would appear to be emptying by the day. The Rangers manager announced yesterday that Lee McCulloch and Charlie Adam, two of his stricken men, are very close to full fitness and that DaMarcus Beasley, out since November, has been in training for a week and is now ready to play.
With a crowded fixture list thanks to the Ibrox side's campaign to win silverware in four competitions, the strengthening of the squad is a timely boost. And with Daniel Cousin, sent off in Thursday's UEFA Cup semi-final victory in Fiorentina, suspen
ded for the May 14 final against Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester, the return to fitness of three of his front men is particularly welcome news.
"Lee and Charlie will feature either in midweek (against Motherwell] or the following weekend (Dundee United]," said Smith.
Adam has not played since the Old Firm game at Ibrox in March, won by Kevin Thomson's goal. McCulloch was injured during Rangers' 2-1 defeat at Parkhead last month. Allan McGregor, meanwhile, shows no sign of playing again this season.
"DaMarcus is back and is now fit," added Smith.
"The question you ask yourself is that after the period of time he's been out, is it right to bring him back with just a couple of weeks of the season to go?
"He's keen to get started. He may play a couple of games before the end of the season. I don't know. I'll have to get my head around that one."
The full article contains 270 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
