NICKY CLARK today called on his Rangers team-mates to match the physical approach of their SPFL League One rivals during the title run-in.

Light Blues boss Ally McCoist has revealed he has been astonished at the "ridiculous" challenges his players have been subjected to in the third tier this season.

And he has admitted he is not surprised that key players like Ian Black and Bilel Mohsni have reacted badly to the treatment they have received.

The midfielder and the defender picked up suspensions after retaliating in the X-rated showdown with Airdrie at the Excelsior Stadium last Thursday.

Striker Clark has suffered as much as anybody in the Gers team - and revealed that he expects to be kicked whenever he takes to the park now.

But the 22-year-old reckons the runaway league leaders have to stand up for themselves in the remaining games of the 2013/14 campaign.

Rangers are 17 points clear at the top of the table at just over the halfway stage and the frontman is determined to maintain

and extend that comfortable lead.

Clark said: "Whenever we go out to play we know full well that there are going to be a few late tackles and a few mistimed tackles flying in.

"We know the teams we play will be physical against us whether we are at home or away. We have come to expect it to be honest.

"Sometimes it is hard not to react when you are being kicked and fouled. We saw that in the game last week. But it is down to us to match it and to give as good as we get."

Meanwhile, Rangers kid Luca Gasparotto has been called up by the Canadian

national team for the first time and will join them for a training camp next week.

Gasparotto, who moved to League Two club Stirling Albion on loan last month, will meet up with Benito Floro's squad in Florida on Sunday.

The 18-year-old centre-half, who played four games for the Rangers first team towards the end of last season, has gone to Forthbank in order to gain further experience of senior football.

And Light Blues coach Ian Durrant believes this involvement with his country's senior squad will aid the highly-rated prospect's development.

Speaking to the official Rangers website, Durrant said: "Luca's looking forward to it and it's a good time to go to Florida given the weather there compared to here.

"He is highly regarded by the coaches within Canada's national set-up and they liaise a lot with the club.

"Luca will be training over there for 10 days and he has been enjoying his time at Stirling Albion as well. It's a good learning curve for him.

"There are a lot of good, experienced players in League Two and it has been a good test for him as he tries to improve as a centre-half.

"Stirling have been good enough to allow Luca to leave early and he'll be looking to go away on a high with a good result for them this weekend.

"He'll go to Florida and hopefully come back refreshed and ready to kick on again. He has had a wee taste of games at Rangers and can hopefully get some more games here."