Rangers boss Walter Smith is looking forward to no more midweek games after Wednesday's Aberdeen clash. The SPL leaders have played 21 games since the turn of the year and Smith believes fatigue has taken its toll of late.

The Gers need just three more wins to retain their SPL title and Smith is relishing the prospect of more rest for his flagging squad.

"Once we get Wednesday's game with Aberdeen out of the way, we will have a period where there are no midweek games and that will be a huge benefit to us," he told the club's official website.

"We're going through a little bit of a sticky patch, but hopefully we can come out of that in the next couple of weeks.

"There's got to be a little bit of appreciation of the fact that with having a smaller group of players and a fair number of matches, it is hard for us.

"Normally this is a time when you don't have as many midweek games but we have, and we have not been able to change the team around a bit.

"There's a level of fatigue because of the manner at which teams raise their games against us.

"As a result of that, our boys have to raise their game every week and I hope people would understand there's a bit of that involved."