Rangers players will have the day off from training this year meaning their last session ahead of Saturday's home match against third-placed Motherwell at Ibrox on December 27 will be tomorrow with only a light session on Boxing Day.
Despite last weekend’s damaging 2-1 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle – a loss that leaves Rangers fourth at Christmas and trailing the Jambos by 12 points – new head coach Danny Röhl, who suffered his first Scottish Premiership loss in the match, will allow his squad the day off on December 25.
Rangers will train tomorrow on Christmas Eve before having the day off, as will the club staff around the Rangers Training Centre.
This comes in sharp contrast to former Ibrox manager Phillipe Clement, the Belgian boss, now with English Championship side Norwich City, had his title-chasing side train on Christmas Day in 2023, the day after a win over Motherwell on Christmas Eve, ahead of a crucial Old Firm match with Celtic on December 30.
Speaking on his team’s training schedule the German head coach said: “Yesterday, my family arrived after a long, long time which is good.
“In Germany, Christmas is on the 24th, in the evening, not on the 25th.
“We now train for three days, and then we’ll give the players the 25th off. Then we have the 26th.
“We still have four training sessions. It’s the first time since I’ve been here that we have four training sessions in one week.
“We’re looking forward to all the games that are coming.
“I’m used to it, in the last three years, it was the same. Games, games, games. It’s not really Christmas.
“Yeah, we take these few hours, and then we’re looking forward to the next games.”
This is not the first time Rangers have allowed their squad the day off for the holidays, Alex McLeish famously allowed his side a day off in the early 2000’s.
Ahead of Saturday's fixture against the Steelmen, Rangers have been boosted by the return of Scotland international John Souttar to training.
While the match at the weekend may come too soon for the central defender, Röhl believes he should return before the side’s match with Scottish League Cup winners’ St Mirren before the New Year.
"John was good yesterday [Monday]," the head coach said.
"He trained for the first time as part of the session.
“Let's see what it means today and tomorrow, but it's a huge step.
"I'm not sure if it's enough for the weekend, but with the games coming now, it helps.”