Rangers bereft of Whittaker for Athens

Rangers FC have confirmed that full-back Steven Whittaker will miss next week's UEFA Cup Round of 32 return match against Panathinaikos FC with a hamstring strain.

Still injured
The 23-year-old is suffering from the same injury that kept him out of Wednesday's first leg, which ended in a 0-0 draw at Ibrox. The Scottish Premier League leaders have also said that midfielder Kevin Thomson (hernia), left-back Stevie Smith (pelvis) and defender Andy Webster (knee) will all be sidelined until late February as they continue to build up their fitness in the reserves.