STEVEN Gerrard has challenged his players to lay down a marker for a Europa League starting spot by impressing in today's friendly against TNS.

The Light Blues recently returned from a pre-season training camp in Spain and take on the Welsh champions in a closed-doors test at the Hummel Training Centre this afternoon. 

Rangers are just nine days away from their first competitive game of the season, when they face Macedonian side Shkupi at Ibrox next Thursday.

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Gerrard's side also take on English League Two outfit Bury at Ibrox on Friday evening, in what will be the supporters' first chance to see the Liverpool legend's side in action.

The former England midfielder challenged his players to put themselves in contention for a starting spot in the European qualifiers by impressing in today's encounter with the Welsh outfit. 

He told Rangers TV: “It’s a big week, but isn’t every week when you are the manager of a club this size?

“We’re just off the back of 10 days in Spain but the first two weeks of pre-season were huge as well.

“We move into the third week and now it’s about games, about playing against opposition so it’s a different type of test for the players but we’re certainly looking forward to the game against TNS behind closed doors.

“Then obviously moving on into Ibrox, our home, and we’re certainly looking forward to playing in front of our supporters.

“I think TNS have started their pre-season at a similar time to us. They’ve got European qualifiers to focus on as well, so fitness levels will probably be quite similar but this is about us.

“I know TNS will give us a test and I know they will be physical, they’ll cause us different situations that we’ll have to deal with, but this is about us and our preparation.

Read more: Lee McCulloch: Steven Gerrard needs to increase his Rangers strike options - and bring in Umar Sadiq from Roma

“We haven’t got many games before the first qualifier so we’ll have to approach this properly and players are playing for places.

“It’s competitive and it’s an opportunity to put a marker down to me to say, ‘I want one of those shirts, one to 11, I want to play.”

Gerrard revealed that he will use a different line-up in either half against TNS.

The visitors also begin their Europa League campaign with a test against Macedonian opponents when they face KF Shkendija next week. 

The 39-year-old faced the Welsh side himself as a player with Liverpool and expects a difficult test at the club's training ground. 

“We’ve been in all week," he said. 

"After Spain we gave them a day off so they can go and spend time with their families, see the children, freshen up and give them a day off their legs.

“We’ve had another fantastic week leading into TNS and now I pick two elevens to play 45 minutes each and we start getting some game minutes into the legs as well.

“We done Rangers v Rangers over in Spain to get the first 45 in and TNS will be the second 45 for them.

“I’ve played against TNS myself, it was a long time ago, but obviously being the Welsh champions they’ll come here with confidence.

“It’s almost a cup final for them, the chance to come to Rangers’ training ground and play against Rangers’ first team is a big carrot for them and I’m sure they are going to be coming with a cup final mentality, desperate to get one over us.

“Even though it’s a friendly for us and it’s more important in terms of fitness and getting the lads used to playing eleven v eleven again.

“But we’ve had one eye on the fact that they’ll want to come and turn us over so we have to be ready for that.”