Connor Goldson faces a sweat to return for Rangers in time to launch their bid to reach the Champions League group stages.
Michael Beale is without his star defender for the trip to face Hibs after the Englishman came out of last weekend's 3-0 win over Celtic with an injury. The 30-year-old had previously been missing during another crucial derby clash in April and his season is over as Rangers head to face the Easter Road side before a clashes with Hearts and St Mirren to end their campaign.
Last season it was Gio Van Bronckhorst's men who survived a first-leg scare against Union St Gilloise to book a clash with PSV Eindhoven in the play-offs for the Champions League. 2-2 in the first leg left Rangers needing a result and Antonio Colak was the hero in Holland as they booked their place at the top table of European football.
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Those fixtures were played in the third week of August last year with the play-offs for next season's competition pencilled in for 22/23 and 29/30 August this time roun but the third qualifying round takes place on 8/9 and 15 August. Beale has given a rough timeline of 'ten weeks' for Goldson to return, which could see the defender be available from the start of August.
Pre-season will be a big factor in the Englishman's recovery from a foot injury with Kris Boyd raising concern about the big defender making the qualifiers. Beale, however, gave more details pre-match.
He said: "We've lost Connor and unfortunately that's going to be for the next ten weeks or so we won't see him until pre-season."
Rangers registered the worst Champions League group stage campaign in the competition's history and Beale will be hoping for a far better showing next season should he guide his side to the group stages.
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