New boss Derek McInnes will take charge of Rangers for the first time on Saturday after the club arranged a behind-closed-doors friendly against Scottish Championship side Raith Rovers at the Rangers Training Centre.
The fixture, which has not been publicly announced, will mark the beginning of Rangers' pre-season programme and offer McInnes his first opportunity to assess his squad in a match environment since succeeding Danny Rohl as manager.
Raith, managed by Dougie Imrie are one of Rangers' co-operation loan partners, will provide the opposition as preparations for the new Scottish Premiership campaign step up.
Both Josh Gentles and Paul Nsio spent spells with the Starks Park club last season, with Nsio impressing and winning several club awards while Gentles was recalled in January due to a lack of game time.
However, McInnes will not have his full squad available.
Several first-team players remain away from the club following their involvement at the World Cup, while others are still observing FIFA's recommended post-tournament recovery period.
Liam Kelly, John Souttar and Lawrence Shankland have yet to return after Scotland's elimination, while Ivor Pandur only saw Croatia exit the competition this week.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Raskin and Thelo Aasgaard remain on international duty with Belgium and Norway respectively, meaning two of Rangers' key midfielders will again be absent from training.
Rangers' behind-closed-doors history offers little guidance
Supporters should be wary of reading too much into Saturday's result.
Rangers have a mixed record when it comes to private pre-season friendlies, but those matches have rarely reflected what followed once competitive football began.
In 2020, Steven Gerrard's side defeated Hamilton Academical 2-1 behind closed doors at the training centre before embarking on an unbeaten Scottish Premiership title-winning campaign.
Twelve months later, Rangers edged Partick Thistle 1-0 in another private fixture at Firhill before eventually reaching the Europa League final.
The most recent example points in the opposite direction. Last summer, Russell Martin's first unofficial match ended in a 1-0 defeat to Welsh champions The New Saints.
Although the result itself carried little significance, the season quickly unravelled. Martin departed in October and, despite Rohl restoring some stability, Rangers ultimately finished third after a disappointing end to the campaign.
First glimpse of the McInnes era
That recent history serves as a reminder that behind-closed-doors friendlies are designed far more for preparation than performance.
Managers typically prioritise fitness, tactical work and spreading minutes across the squad rather than chasing victories, particularly during the opening week of pre-season.
For McInnes, Saturday's fixture represents the first chance to put his ideas into practice with the players available.
With several internationals still absent and others only just returning to training, the match is unlikely to provide definitive answers.
Instead, it will offer the first glimpse of the new Rangers manager's methods as preparations begin in earnest for the Premiership opener away to Dundee United later this month.
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