SCOTLAND supremo Walter Smith has admitted that he is facing a sweat over the possibility of Barry Ferguson being put into deep freeze at Rangers.

Fergie's sensational New Year's Day dismissal from the Ibrox captaincy, and his exclusion for the trip to Motherwell, have left Walt worried his key midfielder and captain could be robbed of crucial match action in the vital period leading back into the spring European Championship qualifying schedule.

And the Scotland boss said: "It's something we have to be really aware of. We've had situations where players have been out for long spells.

"Andy Webster missed out about six months because of a contractual disagreement with Hearts and for a while it looked like some of the other players at Tynecastle might have similar problems.

"Steven Pressley has moved on now and it's great that he is playing again. But Barry's situation at Rangers is something new. It is important that he plays, important that he's involved, because it's important that all our main players do. I would put him in with the rest of the guys in this situation.

"It's OK if they don't play once in a while. Someone like Darren Fletcher maybe doesn't play for Manchester United every week but he does get games - and he plays very well.

"The situation with Steven Pressley, Andy Webster and now Barry Ferguson is different altogether if they go for long spells without any first-team football."

And Smith's worries have been echoed by one of his predecessors in the national hot seat - Craig Brown.

Brown reckons that only a quickfire solution, brokered during the transfer window, will avoid the Scotland chief paying the price for Paul Le Guen's guillotine job on Fergie.

Brown said: "A short lay-off can be a good thing for a top player like Barry. But even the best players do need to be up with the pace of the game - especially when they are in key midfield positions. But I'm sure there will be a quick resolution to this question, so I can't see Walter losing too much sleep over it.

"Le Guen clearly timed his decision for the start of the transfer window so I'd expect a move. But it certainly wouldn't do Barry many favours if, for any reason, things are still dragging on and he's still at Rangers, perhaps not playing, beyond the end of the current window."