STEVEN GERRARD last night warned his Rangers players that their next European opponents Osijek will be a huge step-up in quality from the last round.

And the Ibrox manager challenged the under-pressure strikers to get him an away goal next Thursday in Croatia.

But experienced midfielder Scott Arfield is running out of time to play. He missed the away tie against FK Shkupi on Tuesday having injured a knee during the first leg.

Gerrard is under no illusion that the next two matches of Europa League qualifiers is going to be a serious test for a team which is still short of fitness and goals.

The Rangers manager said: "It’s not so much a different approach I’m looking for because I was really happy with our approach in terms of shape and discipline and how organised we were. I was also very pleased with the clean sheet.

“But what I did say is that we have to improve in the final third. If you are to progress over two legs then it’s important to try and score away goals. The opposition is going to get stronger and better, the quality will go up, so it’s important we keep raising our levels so we can be competitive.

“Osijek will be a really good test for us. It certainly won’t be a gimme. I thought we were a lot better than Shkupi and on paper we should have qualified, and we should have qualified with more goals and a bigger advantage.

“This is certainly a much closer game in terms of their level, so we expect two really tough games.”

Alfredo Morelos and the other Rangers strikers have yet to impress their manager.

But Gerrard, speaking to Rangers TV believes in them and that they are getting closer to finding some goals.

He said: "The whole team is a work in progress. We are four weeks in and this is not going to happen within a month, two months, it’s going to be about building. We are still trying to get 100 per cent match fit.

“I know the most difficult thing in football is the final third; creating and scoring goals is the most difficult thing to do.

“The players are getting closer to the levels, close to being match fit, so I am confident the goals will come in at the right time.

“But it was important that I sent out the message that we can’t wait for another week or two weeks because we have important games during that time period. It is important we get over that line and keep progressing.

“I’m happy with base and really happy with how we’ve defended and with individuals within that. But it’s not a case of we are happy with back lads and it’s like ‘come on front boys, let’s start and pull the finger out’.

“We attack together and defend together. What I would say is we are very close to scoring goals and scoring heavily.

“If you look at the Shkupi game at home, we had chances to get another four or five goals. Away from home we had three or four. I am not worried but we certainly do need a bit of fine tuning."

Arfield, 29, is expected to be a big player for Steven Gerrard's Rangers but the manager admitted that the former Burnley man was a doubt.

Gerrard said: "I will speak to the doctor today but as of yesterday Scott Arfield is improving slowly, but we are not sure whether he will be available next week to play Osijek.

"We will have to play that one by ear and see if he improves in the coming days.

“I will speak to the doctor today but as of yesterday Scott Arfield is improving slowly, but we are not sure whether he will be available next week to play Osijek.

“We will have to play that one by ear and see if he improves in the coming days.”

A big bonus for Gerrard has been his defence and goalkeeper Allan McGregor who as a group stood up well during a testing period in Tuesday night's match.

He said: "With a goalkeeper such as Allan, you know you’re going to get that experience, you know he has a winning mentality and he is desperate for this club to do well. I had every confidence in him.

“And with the two centre-backs, one is young, Nikola Katic, and I knew Connor Goldson would be experience and hungry to play. I knew they were two good players in their own right but as a partnership they have gelled quickly, probably a little bit quicker than I thought."