Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson has been given the all clear by a knee specialist to participate in pre-season training. The 24 year old has been out of action since suffering cruciate ligament damage last November.

Gers boss Walter Smith said: "The specialist is very happy with the way the injury has progressed and it means that he will now do all the work with the rest of the group.

"It will obviously take him a little bit of time to get his match fitness up but if we can get him a number of games over the pre-season then he will be ready, if not for the start of the season then shortly afterwards."

Smith told the club's official website: "I have said on many occasions that I felt he was starting to show great form just before he suffered the injury.

"It always takes a bit of time for young players to settle at a new club and that was the case with Steven Whittaker, Maurice Edu and Kyle Lafferty.

"But they are all past that stage now and I just felt that Kevin was getting to the situation where he was beginning to influence games and hopefully when he gets back he will be able to start where he left off."