Ally McCoist has said that Rangers’ Champions League qualification tie could be tough and wants to avoid a repeat of the clubs slip-up against Kaunas three years ago.

The Ibrox club will learn who they will be facing in the crucial knockout tie on Friday and their manager believes that playing such an important match so early in the season can present difficulties.

"Because of when it is in the season, the Champions League qualifier will be tricky especially if we have to go to Eastern Europe to Georgia or a place like that “ he said.

"We've done it before in Kaunas a few years ago and we were burnt there. That was horrendous because we were coming off a great season but we looked jaded and tired that night in Kaunas.

“To say that right at the start of the season was strange but that was how we looked.”

The Scottish Premier League season starts on July 23, meaning that Rangers will have seen competitive action before they contest their European tie, which is scheduled for the following midweek. Players have to be registered before July 21 to be eligible for the matches and McCoist is keen to bring in new additions in time.

"Now it’s early again and to be honest we need players in to help the ones already here and to freshen the place up a bit,” he admitted.

"It was after Kaunas we signed the likes of Pedro Mendes and a few others but by that time it was too late so we know what's required this year.  The new players will be in and we will be ready.”

The Ibrox boss said that when the draw is made he wants to be handed a tie that doesn’t involve too much travelling, and he identified teams that would suit him.

“It would be ideal to get someone close to home like Shamrock Rovers from Ireland or one of the Scandinavian sides like Malmo or Helsinki,” he revealed.

"If I had a choice, it would be one of those teams because of the travelling involved but we know there are teams from Georgia, Moldova and Slovenia as well.

"They wouldn't be a total disaster but avoiding them would certainly suit us better."