Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2 - 3 Rangers

Inverness CT v Rangers: Preview

Updated: January 27, 2006, 5:27 PM UK

Inverness Caledonian Thistle director of football Graeme Bennett is hoping new head coach Charlie Christie will soon become a wanted man by other clubs.

The Highland club have appointed the 39-year-old to replace Craig Brewster, who joined Dundee United as player-manager two weeks ago.

But the ex-Hibernian and Dunfermline striker was merely the latest in a number of Caley bosses to be lured away after Steve Paterson joined Aberdeen before John Robertson moved to Hearts.

But Bennett insists those departures merely show how far the club have progressed ahead of the visit of Rangers.

He said: "With the best will in the world, I hope and pray in 18 months' time somebody is sniffing about trying to lure Charlie away or attempting to sign our players.

"But, if you are bottom of the league, nobody wants to know you.

"Am I meant to bring in a dud so that nobody tries to take him away?

"The situation at Caley Thistle has changed recently and we are now a stable SPL club, so it is hard to see what would be a better place for Charlie to be than here.

"I like to think he will be here for a considerable period of time.

"But, if he is linked with other clubs a couple of years from now, then that is a positive thing from our point of view.''

Meanwhile, Caley chairman David Sutherland has revealed even a former assistant of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had applied for the job.

Portuguese coach Jose Manuel Ferreira De Morais, who now lives in Sweden, served at Benfica, Porto and Dynamo Dresden.

But Sutherland and the Caley board preferred to hand a two-and-a-half year contract to Christie ahead of a list of 70 other applicants.

Sutherland said: "This was one of the most sought after jobs in Britain evidenced by the number of applications we had.''

It has been almost two years since Gavin Rae last kicked a ball for Rangers but he insists he could not have asked for a better time to make his comeback.

The midfielder will be named in the squad to take on Inverness, ending 21 months on the sidelines with a series of knee injuries.

And he knows if he impresses this weekend, then a place in the top team could be up for grabs ahead of a month of games every player is desperate to be involved in.

February sees Celtic come calling in a crucial SPL match, before Rangers play host to Villarreal in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

And Rae insists he could not ask for a bigger incentive to force his way back into boss Alex McLeish`s plans.

"I'm back at the right time,'' he said. "It's a massive month if you look at matches coming up.

"We have Villarreal and Celtic and we'll need a big squad to see us through.

"But these are the matches you want to be involved in.

"That's why you join a club like Rangers.

"I've missed a lot of football and I want to make up for lost time. I need games for sure but I want to be playing every week.

"I think there is a mental barrier to cross but I've played a handful of matches now and there has been no reaction.''

Skipper Barry Ferguson suffered a broken nose following a freak training ground clash with team-mate Marvin Andrews, while Brahim Hemdani`s injury problems continued when he picked up a hamstring strain in a reserve match against Montrose.

With two key midfielders out of action, Rae is ready to be thrown into the match at Inverness.

He added: "It's been a long time coming for me but I'm ready if called upon.

"I know with Barry being injured there is a place in midfield.

"If I'm called upon I know I can do a job.

"I've played two 90 minute games now and I feel fine.''

McLeish is still searching for new players before the transfer window closes at the end of the month and he knows a fully-fit Rae could be like having a new recruit at his disposal.

But the Rangers boss was also keen to sound a note of caution.

McLeish said: "If we can get him to the level he was at when we signed him then it will be exactly like having a new player but I don`t want to put too much pressure on him at this stage.

"He has been out for almost two years.''