Rangers' Brian Laudrup celebrated the sale of 50,000 of his videos yesterday and, also, his return to first-team action which he believes will come against the premier division leaders Hearts at Tynecastle tomorrow.

Laudrup has shaken off the back injury which has plagued him for the past few weeks and explained: ''I went over to Denmark to see a chiropractor and he was able to tell me that there had been what looked like a small fracture in my spine.

''It was not serious but what it meant was that I was not able to run properly, so I was suffering in other ways and this brought about hamstring injuries which would keep me out for a couple of weeks.

''If that back injury had not been sorted out it could have meant I would be coming back then breaking down again with a repeat of the hamstring problems.

''Now, everything has been solved and I'm confident I shall be able to play for the rest of the season without any recurrence of the injury.''

Laudrup is now training with the rest of the first-team squad and, while he admits that the decision on whether he plays against Hearts or not rests with manager Walter Smith, he is clearly ready for his comeback.

The Danish internationalist insisted: ''I don't have any worries at all now about the injury. I have had this type of back problem before and so I knew what was happening.

''Now, though, I feel good and I'm ready to play though I don't know whether I would be able to play for the full 90 minutes.

''However, that decision will be left to the manager. He will tell me tomorrow, I would think.''

Laudrup played down suggestions that Rangers have been less effective without his presence, and also the suspended England midfield player Paul Gascoigne.

''I don't think it is correct that the team rely on us,'' he claimed, ''because while we have been out, the team have been able to stay close to the top of the league and have also been able to get good results.

''There have been some hiccups, of course, but we have a lot of good players at the club and we are in a good position just now and will be ready for the challenge which will come in the new year.''

It is then, of course, that Rangers expect to have all their injured and suspended players back in action though the push to hit the top of the table will begin tomorrow when Laudrup hopes to take part against the team he believes will make a potent challenge for the title right to the end of the season.

Yesterday he pointed out: ''Hearts have always been a team who have impressed me and a team who have always been able to get results against anyone on their day. But now, this season, I think they have shown more consistency. They have been able to get results from one Saturday to another and that has been important for them.

''I think they have very good individual players and also Jim Jefferies has put together a strong unit and, while he has less money to spend on players than ourselves or Celtic, he has done a tremendous job.

''Traditionally we have always made our major challenge for the league in the second half of the season and it would be good to think we shall do the same again this year.

''But I think there is a fresh challenge waiting for us from Hearts. While I have been here we have had to look at Celtic every season but, now, I think that Hearts are capable of keeping up their bid for the title until the end of the season. I believe they will be there when the championship is settled and we have to be prepared for that.''

Laudrup, of course, reckons that Rangers will be stronger when long-term injury victims Sebastian Rozental and Lorenzo Amaruso are back in action.

He said: ''I've played fewer games than I have in any of the seasons I've been here. I think it is just 14 games this year and now I want to be able to play without injury right to the season's end. I know that Sebastian Rozental is determined to do the same when he gets back - and that will not be long because he is training with the lads now and is fitter than he has been since he arrived at the club.''

Antti Niemi is also set for a return to action. The Finnish keeper, who has been plagued by a finger injury, will play for the second string against Kilmarnock today in a Reserve League Cup tie at Bathgate.

Meanwhile, demand for the beamback of the Tynecastle match to Ibrox is such that the public sale of tickets has been extended.

The ticket office at Ibrox will continue selling briefs, priced #5 for adults and #3 concession, until 1pm tomorrow afternoon.