MARTIN GREIG AND GRAEME MACPHERSON

Ally McCoist, the Rangers assistant manager, claims the club will try to strengthen ahead of tomorrow night's Champions League deadline but insists it won't be a disaster if they fail to add to their squad.

Rangers, who beat Clyde 1-0 in a pre-season friendly last night, face FBK Kaunas in the second qualifying round first leg next Wednesday and are still chasing new faces. "It would be nice to add to the squad," admitted McCoist. "We have been looking to strengthen and if someone becomes available we will go and do it. We are probably looking defensively and in midfield. But if it doesn't happen it won't be a disaster. I am confident we have the players to get us through."

One player very much on the radar is Glenn Loovens. The Herald understands Ian Durrant, the Rangers coach, and Ewan Chester, the club's chief scout, were in Portugal last night to watch Cardiff City's Dutch defender face Vitoria Guimaraes.

Dave Jones, the manager of the Welsh club, insisted he would not be coerced into selling Loovens at a cut-price rate and later revealed he had so far received no official contact regarding the player.

"At the moment it's all talk," he said. "If Walter Smith, the Rangers manager wants him then he can make a bid like he can for any of our players, but he won't be cheap. So he'll have a big decision to make if he wants to come for him but we've had no official contact. We've always maintained that everybody at our football club is available at a price. If someone comes in and gives us what we want we'll listen."

Jones also revealed Cardiff would not be following up their interest in Kris Boyd after having a bid, believed to be in the region of £2.5m, turned down for the Rangers striker. He added: "We made an offer for Kris and it was turned down so that was the end of it. The price they wanted was too much and we also heard that Kris wanted to stay and give it a go at Rangers."

Regarding a possible bid for Daniel Cousin, the unsettled striker, Jones was non-committal. "I'm interested in all good players but also want to keep my own good players."

McCoist, meanwhile, distanced the club from speculation linking them with PSV Eindhoven's Mika Vayrynen, the 26-year-old Finnish international midfielder. "That is news to me," he said. "We are looking at two or three players but I always think it is unfair to mention names when the players are under contract."

Nacho Novo gave Rangers victory against a Clyde side which included Ibrox legends Brian Laudrup, Jorg Albertz and Artur Numan. McCoist claimed it was an important step in their preparations.

"It was very worthwhile. That is the sharpest we have looked, although maybe not in front of goal but in terms of possession and movement off the ball. We are eight days away from a massive European tie and it was important to keep a serious edge to the game. I am confident we will be ready for the Kaunas game. Looking at the game we have played, I think there has been an improvement. The Schalke game was a good test against a top side and I thought our possession was good tonight."

John Brown, the manager of Clyde, was delighted with his side's work-out and the contribution of Laudrup, Albertz and Numan. "We brought in three ex-players to sell the game but the other eight players worked their tails off and so did the three veterans.

"It was great for our boys to share a dressing room with Rangers legends. Now they've got to turn out against Annan in the Challenge Cup first round on Saturday in front of 1000 fans and get a result.

"We have got a fantastic group who want to succeed. They weren't intimidated tonight. Last season the organisation wasn't great and that was why we were in the playoffs. We have added a few new players and if we show what we did tonight then we won't be under threat from relegation."