PEDRO CAIXINHA will give his Rangers squad just ten days off this summer ahead of their potential return to Europa League action.

The Light Blues are on course to earn a continental berth through their Premiership placing but can also clinch a spot by winning the Scottish Cup this term.

Caixinha’s side face Old Firm rivals Celtic next month as they look to set up a final meeting with Aberdeen or Hibernian at Hampden.

That would leave the Gers squad with just a month to prepare themselves for their first competitive action next season.

For captain Lee Wallace and full-back Lee Hodson, the timeframe is even tighter as they face the prospect of international duty on June 10 and a return to training just days later.

Caixinha held talks with chairman Dave King for the first time last week and the Portuguese already has one eye on what could be a hectic summer at Ibrox.

He said: “It was a very interesting meeting, things were really, really clear and just after that we started carrying on in the same direction, getting on the same wavelengths and on the same work that needs to be done from now until the beginning of next season.

“Today for example we said to the players that the 29th of June is going to be our first match, the Europa League first qualifying round, first leg.

“So that needs to go into our plan. We have to organise the squad for that.

“We have the notion that we are going to finish the season on May 27. But to give them a rest period, to prepare them for when they restart for that first match next season, normally you need between five to six weeks.

“That’s more than enough to get the pattern and make them ready to play that first match.

“So from June 29 you work back five or six weeks and you have the date that you are going to start.

“But that doesn’t fit…I don’t have the time. So we will have only 21 days of preparation, so I can give them only between 10 to 11 days of a vacation.

“This is the reality we are facing. That means that we are trying to organise everything from now until the end of the season in order to start on the right date with everyone on board in the right direction.”

Caixinha has spent the international break putting his squad through their paces at Auchenhowie and has already cancelled the usual Wednesday day off arrangement that was previously in place.

There will be little time for the Gers to recharge before they get back down to business this summer but the Ibrox boss is confident the Light Blues will handle the demanding schedule.

Caixinha said: “When I ask the players ‘how many of you have played in the Europa League or Champions League, raise your hand’.

“How many raise their hands? Only a few. So they all want to. Top players have to do this and Rangers players are always top players.

“They need to [be twelve months-a-year athletes now].

“My experience in Mexico allowed me to deal with this sort of situation, in a different way, because it’s not the first time I’ve experienced it. In Mexico they play short tournaments, six months and six months.”