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Page last updated at 16:11 GMT, Monday, 27 September 2010 17:11 UK

Walter Smith gives Steven Davis time to prove fitness

Rangers physio Pip Yeates chats with midfielder Steven Davis
Davis had to replaced near the end of Rangers' victory at Pittodrie

Walter Smith will give influential midfielder Steven Davis every chance to prove his fitness for Rangers' Champions League tie against Bursaspor.

The Northern Ireland international went off 15 minutes before the end of Rangers' 3-2 win against Aberdeen.

Smith told the club website: "Steven came off before any serious damage but it's still a major concern to us.

"We'll just have to see how it is over the next couple of days. Steven will hopefully feel he is fully recovered."

The Rangers manager is, however, wary of Davis aggravating the injury to such an extent that he loses a key player for four to six weeks.

"He has started to play very well for us by his own standards, which are very high," added Smith.

"His level of consistency since he has come to us has been terrific.

"I felt he was having his best game at Aberdeen when we had to take him off."

Steven Whittaker will recover from a head knock to play but James Beattie and John Fleck, who injured his hamstring in pre-season, will not be fit for the midweek match against the Turkish league leaders.

They kept going and it was great to get a win under those circumstances

Rangers manager Walter Smith

"John Fleck, I would hope would be ready to rejoin us by the end of the week and James Beattie the same," said Smith.

"He took a bit of a knock on his hip. We had hoped he would be ready for last weekend but it wasn't to be."

Rangers warmed up for the visit by the Turkish side by fighting back from two goals down against Aberdeen.

And Smith preferred to concentrate on the positives from three points that put them back on top of the Scottish Premier League because they have scored more goals than city rivals Celtic.

"I felt there was a wee bit of slackness defensively in the first half of the game," said Smith whose side have a 100% domestic record.

"From our own point of view, we had been dominating the game territorially and we struggled to get the breakthrough there and had a couple of bits of slackness that allowed Aberdeen to go two up.

"You always think it is a long way back after that but, credit to our boys, they kept going and it was great to get a win under those circumstances."

Smith thought that his summer signings had gelled well with the established first-team players to create a strong squad.

"There's a good determination about them and, if they lose a game, it won't be through lack of effort in any way, shape or form," he added.

Kenny Miller scored Rangers' first two goals and thought the Glasgow side deserved their win.

"I thought we actually played quite well in the first half," stated the striker.

"We found ourselves 2-0 down after some uncharacteristic defending from us.

"The goals were fairly easy for them, particularly the first one, which is not like us, but we responded in the right way.

"It took us a penalty to get us back in the game but I think in that second half we showed more than enough and created enough chances and put enough pressure on them to deserve the win.

"Even at 2-0 down, we were always confident we could get back into the game."



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see also
Gers beware Bursaspor bite
27 Sep 10 |  Rangers
Gers' Miller 'in form of my life'
26 Sep 10 |  Rangers
McGhee pained by Aberdeen defeat
26 Sep 10 |  Aberdeen
Aberdeen 2-3 Rangers
26 Sep 10 |  Scottish Premier
Sunday's Scottish football as it happened
26 Sep 10 |  Scottish Premier
SPL photo gallery
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