Miller hit the net three times as Rangers won at Rugby Park

A weekend hat-trick has set Rangers striker Kenny Miller up nicely for the make-or-break Champions League clash with Manchester United on Wednesday.

Miller took his tally for the season to 18 in the 3-2 win at Kilmarnock.

And looking ahead to United's visit to Ibrox, he said: "We have to win if we are to have a chance of qualification so we need to create a few chances.

"We'll have to ride our luck and we'll have to defend very well, but we need to pose a threat."

The Scottish champions were far from their best as they fought back from behind for the sixth time this season to win at Rugby Park.

However, Miller's goals helped them stretch their lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League to three points, with Celtic slipping to a draw at home to Dundee United.

The performance at home to Valencia has got to be the one we look to Kenny Miller

And the Scotland striker knows Rangers must show their grit and determination again to overcome United as they battle to keep their hopes of a last 16 place alive.

The Glasgow giants sit in third place in Group C, two points behind Valencia, who will be strong favourites to beat bottom side Bursaspor in Spain this week.

Manchester United lead the section with 10 points from the four games played.

Rangers, who have amassed five points, opened with a dour 0-0 in England and Miller takes heart from having already matched Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

"The point we got at Old Trafford was a real confidence-booster going into our home games and I thought we did very well in them," he told BBC Radio Scotland.

"We're at home again on Wednesday and if we are going to have any hope of qualifying we have to win the game.

"It will be much the same approach as we've had for the previous games but, ultimately, we need the win.

Papac could return to the Rangers defence on Wednesday

"And hopefully we have enough in the locker to go and do that.

"We didn't create much at Old Trafford but the performance at home to Valencia (a 1-1 draw) has got to be the one we look to.

"On that night we should have won, we got men forward and created good chances."

Rangers had six players sidelined for the trip to Rugby Park, including influential trio Sasa Papac, Maurice Edu and Madjid Bougherra.

Manager Walter Smith reckons Papac could return to face United after a head knock.

"The only one likely to come back is Sasa Papac but we will have to wait and see how he is," revealed the Ibrox boss.

"He had a slight concussion along with the cut and it's causing him some headaches so we have to be careful with it and make sure everything is okay."

Looking ahead to the challenge of facing his old friend Ferguson, Smith added: "We have greater confidence than we did at the start of the group.

"And we know we'll have to be at the top of our game if we're going to achieve anything against the best team in the group by far."

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