Motherwell striker Louis Moult is ready to play through the pain barrier to fire his side to victory over Rangers in the League Cup this weekend.

Moult was his side’s top scorer last season, bagging eighteen goals in his debut campaign in Scotland despite being plagued by a persistent groin problem.

It was hoped that with proper rest over the summer that the niggling injury may clear, but it has flared up yet again during pre-season.

He will see a specialist tomorrow in an attempt to get to the root of the problem, but while manager Mark McGhee has played down Moult’s chances of lining up against Rangers, the forward is ready to do whatever it takes to spearhead the Steelmen’s attack for the match.

“If I have to I’ll get through it, that’s the kind of person I am,” Moult said. “I managed to get through it last season, and I’ll take whatever anti-inflammatories or painkillers that I need to to get through it if I’m honest. If that’s what I have to do again, that’s what I have to do.

“I’m still keeping my fitness up so today I did everything the other boys did at training in order to keep my heart-rate and my sharpness up.

“However, if we can find out what’s causing this problem then it would allow me to play at 100% again, which is all that I want.

“It affects me more during games, especially when I’m checking and turning. Like I say, this has been going on for some time and I’d like to be pain-free again, although I’ll play through it again if I have to.

“Would I have scored a few more goals last season if I was fully fit? You never know, but the main thing now is to try and nip it in the bud as early as possible and get me out playing pain-free.”

Despite his desperation to line up in the first competitive game of Motherwell’s season though, Moult will accept – however reluctantly – the ultimate decision made by his manager.

He said: “I haven’t spoken to him about it but if the gaffer thinks it’s best to get it sorted out – which would make sense, really, to have that done as early as possible – then I can play at my best again.

“So far I’ve had a scan but it came back clear, which was disappointing for me because I just want it cleared up.

“Injections have been discussed and we might have to go down that road. It’s a possibility.”

Whether Moult is involved in the game against Rangers or not, he has assured Motherwell supporters that the team that takes the field will be a very different beast to the one that went down 4-1 to Hibs at Easter Road on Sunday.

He senses a determination among the Fir Park squad to really take the game to Mark Warburton’s men.

“I was watching [the Hibs game] and the boys were so down after the game,” Moult said. “You don’t really see that very often after a pre-season game, but it just shows how much it means to the boys.

“They weren’t happy with it, and they are all eager to put it right. We’ve got to show people what we’re all about.

“Last season we finished in fantastic form, so we’ve got to try to set our stall out early doors and get at Rangers.

“We played the likes of Celtic last season, and the one that sticks out in my mind was when they came to our place and we sat off them in the first half, but in the second half we got at them and caused them a few problems and we nearly beat them, so that’s what we’ve got to do to Rangers.

“People will make us the underdogs, that’s for sure, and I definitely prefer being the underdog. I love proving people wrong.

“If we all go in with that attitude then we can definitely do something. That’s got to motivate you, it definitely motivates me.

“Everyone will be talking about Rangers this and Rangers that, but we’ve just got to think about ourselves and spoiling the party, so to speak.”