Rangers v St Johnstone

HE MAY have been around the football scene for long enough, but Dick Advocaat can still admit to altering his mind in light of the realities of the ever-changing modern game.

The Dutchman was a firm advocate (if he will excuse the pun) of picking his best team for each game as it came along and has followed that policy since he came to Ibrox just over a year ago.

This weekend he is having a rethink and every Rangers supporter will understand why. The extraordinary demands of the Champions League have convinced the manager that he has to consider resting players if he has to have any chance of making an impact at both domestic and European level.

''I will think about it today,'' he said as he discussed his squad for the Premier League match with St Johnstone today and, at the same time, kept in mind the crucial Champions League game with his old club, PSV Eindhoven, coming up in Holland on Tuesday.

''I think it is essential that we consider resting players tomorrow. We have to accept that there are top teams now using two teams for the different competitions, but we can't go that far.

''However, the Bayern game on Tuesday was very hard on the players and we have to think about the game with PSV Eindhoven as well as the match with St Johnstone. That is the way it is now, with cup games and internationals involved as well.

''We may have to give some players a rest, but I am not sure that I will do it again.''

The likelihood is that Advocaat will be considering giving Barry Ferguson the afternoon off, even though the young midfield player had an outstanding game against Bayern in the 1-1 draw on Tuesday.

Younger players often have difficulty in reproducing top form week in, week out, and it may be in the coach's mind to save the Ferguson energies for Tuesday in Holland.

It could be that he will consider resting another midfielder, Claudio Reyna, who has had a tiring schedule, too, while striker Michael Mols, keen to do well in Holland, might welcome a break.

Goalkeeper Lionel Charbonnier, who has played a handful of tough games in succession since returning after a long injury spell, could be in line for a day off, also.

Players like Neil McCann, Dariusz Adamczuk, Andrei Kancheslkis, and Antii Niemi may be challengers for first-team places this time.

Rod Wallace, whose industrious play has been badly missed in recent weeks, is fit again and will be on the bench. Advocaat is sure to bring him on at some stage if all goes well, with the objective of a place for the former Leeds man, who has never played in the Champions League, in Holland in his thoughts.

''I have missed being involved,'' said Wallace, ''and it was good to be on the bench on Tuesday. Now I just want to get back as soon as possible.''

Advocaat, who criticised the Rangers fans for their reticence at home league games earlier in the season, was impressed by the support the side received on Tuesday and believes that, even in the humdrum weekly context, ''they are getting better all the time''.

Meanwhile, St Johnstone striker Kevin Thomas returns to Ibrox hoping that his team-mates stay on the pitch with him. The last time the former Hearts and Morton player made the trip to Govan it turned out to be the most bizarre match he has played in.

He was part of the Hearts team that lost 3-0 and had four players sent off during a torrid 90 minutes three years ago.

''It got to the stage that even Rangers players were appealing to the referee,'' he recalled. ''I think they were getting a bit embarrassed.We were just one card away from getting the match abandoned.

''It was certainly getting farcical and I don't remember anything quite like it.''

More recently, the striker faced a Rangers XI for Morton in a closed-doors game prior to their Parma clash.

He squared up to both Lorenzo Amoruso and Craig Moore as Dick Advocaat tuned up his side for Europe.

''We lost 2-1, although it will be taken a lot more seriously this weekend,'' Thomas said. ''It was a full-strength Rangers side, but it was strictly closed to the public.

''If there were 10 people looking on, I'd be surprised. It might just be a different story at Ibrox on Saturday, but that will get the adrenaline going.

''When there's so many people crammed into a stadium, all you hear is noise and that gives players a real buzz.

''It probably lifts the opposition as much as the home team. It won't intimidate us. It would be great to go back and do something special.

''In Monte Carlo, I was up front alone and did more running than Forrest Gump. I wouldn't like that every week, especially as my match fitness still isn't 100 per cent.''

Thomas is likely to continue his productive partnership in the Saints forward line with top scorer Nathan Lowndes.

Nick Dasovic has trained this week after recovering from a viral infection and will return to the squad.

BOOKIES' VIEW: Rangers 1-4, St Johnstone 11-1, draw 9-2.