FIT-AGAIN Lewis Macleod reckons the free weekend will help stuttering Rangers to rediscover their best form.

Gers manager Ally McCoist asked for Saturday's SPFL Championship match with Cowdenbeath at Central Park to be postponed.

Centre-half Bilel Mohsni had been named in Tunisia's squad for an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Senegal in Dakar on Friday night.

And his team mate Marius Zaliukas was called up by Lithuania ahead of their Euro 2016 double-header against Estonia and Slovenia.

Since the Cowdenbeath game was called off, Mohnsi has been hit with a three-game ban for punching an opponent in the 3-1 defeat to Hibs.

And Zaliukas injured his knee in the 1-0 victory over Livingston at the Energy Assets Arena on Saturday.

McCoist has consistently refused to take on a competitive game in the lower leagues without a full-strength squad at his disposal.

He had the Petrofac Training Cup quarter-final with East Fife rearranged last month due to four players - Macleod, Mohsni, Dean Shiels and Zaliukas - being unavailable for selection.

This latest postponement means second-tier leaders Hearts, who take on Alloa Athletic away, can stretch their lead at the top of the table to nine points.

Macleod is keen to keep playing - after scoring a spectacular winner against Livingston on his return to action following a fortnight out with an ankle injury.

But the midfielder understands why the trip to Cowdenbeath has been called off and believes it will benefit the Ibrox club in the long run.

"Having a week without a game during a long, hard season definitely helps to recharge players' batteries," he said. "It helps you recover from any knocks or strains you may have.

"You saw the positive effect it had on the players after the last international break last month. We came back against Raith and produced our best football of the season.

"It was our best performance of the campaign so far by some distance. Hopefully another wee break will do us all the world of good."

Macleod continued: "We always need to have our strongest side out on the park at Rangers no matter who we are playing against or where we are playing.

"Whether you are missing one, two or three players, it doesn't matter. You need the strongest side possible on the pitch. The demands on you to win games at Rangers are massive.

"I think it is disrespectful to the opposition to say, 'Well, it's only this club or that club'. At Rangers, there are no excuses for not winning."

The Rangers players and manager have come in for fierce criticism from fans recently for failing to win two of their SPFL Championship matches.

They drew 1-1 with Alloa on the artificial pitch at the Indodrill Arena - the game in which Macleod was injured - and were thrashed 3-1 by Hibs at Ibrox.

Having been a first team regular for more than two seasons, the 20-year-old knew exactly what to expect after those disappointing outings.

He was in the Gers side in the Third Division two seasons ago when they slumped to draws to part-timers such as Peterhead, Berwick, Annan, Elgin City and Montrose.

The teenager also witnessed the fall-out when the Glasgow giants were defeated 1-0 by Stirling Albion - who were the bottom team in senior football in Scotland at the time.

But Macleod, who took his goals tally for the 2014/15 campaign to six with his overhead kick at the weekend, revealed he will never grow accustomed to losing.

"I don't think you ever get used to it," he said. "It is not something that you expect to happen when you are playing for a club like Rangers.

"You are expected to win every game you play in here. It is definitely hard when you drop points or get beat. But you just have to redouble your efforts in training and in matches, and try as best you can to bounce back with a victory on the park.

"We won 1-0 against Livingston at the weekend so that was pleasing after the Hibs result. Hopefully we can kick on now and go on a good winning run."

Macleod has enjoyed playing alongside new recruits Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller since the strike duo returned to Rangers on free transfers in the summer.

He is confident the presence of the experienced Scotland internationalists will help the Ibrox club reclaim their place in the top flight of Scottish football

He said: "Boydy and Kenny have been at the club before and know exactly the demands that are on you here.

"But they were here during different times. The club was in the top flight winning trophies and titles.

"The times when the club dropped points were few and far between. It is hard to be in the position that we are in now. But we have to keep working hard to improve.

"I now they are both keen to work hard and help us win this league and get the club back into the top flight. All of the players here are."