INJURY-RAVAGED Rangers today headed for Tel Aviv with a stark warning from manager Walter Smith.

The Ibrox squad for the Uefa Cup last 32 first leg against Hapoel was minus EIGHT first team members.

Smith suffered a double blow when new signings Kevin Thomson and Ugo Ehiogu limped off with hamstring injuries during yesterday's 3-1 win at Kilmarnock.

Neither appears to have serious problems, but face a race to be fit for the second leg in 10 days.

Smith is also missing Stefan Klos, Dado Prso, Thomas Buffel, Stevie Smith and Andy Webster. Sasa Papac is ineligible.

Klos had X-rays on a knee problem last week and rookie keeper Lee Robinson took his place on the bench at Rugby Park.

Robinson, 20, was one of a crop of kids making up the numbers as Rangers left Glasgow for the five-hour plus flight to Tel Aviv.

And Smith has warned his side they face a stern test to win a place in the last 16 against either Bordeaux or Osasuna.

"This will be a tough away leg for us," said Smith. "John Brown watched them a couple of weeks ago, and Ian Durrant saw them at the weekend when they drew 1-1 (against Maccabi Netanya).

"They are very attacking and very aggressive in the way they keep going. The atmosphere will be electric, as the fans are close to the pitch.

"But it's now down to the business end of the competition. You have 32 teams left, with the added quality of the sides who have dropped from the Champions League, and we'll need to play well to progress.

"The aim is to secure a good result that we can take back to Ibrox and go from there next week.

"Of course the injury situation is not ideal and we have a number of players missing. But we'll just need to get on with it.

"The team has been on a great run, they have gone 12 games in Europe unbeaten, so they have proven on a number of occasions that they can achieve results at this level."

Smith could have done without the injuries to Thomson -- on his debut - and Ehiogu. The Gers gaffer, though, hopes that they will not be missing for long.

"Kevin picked the problem up playing for the Scotland B team in midweek," Smith explained. "He felt good yesterday morning and wanted to play. But at half-time we felt it was better for him to come off, rather than risk any further damage.

"Ugo has a similar hamstring problem. It's a bit early for a full diagnosis, but I don't think it's anything that serious and we would hope they will not be out for too long."

Hapoel were dealt their own massive blow after Uefa informed them that key defender Javier Paez is suspended, having not realised he picked up the first of three bookings against Panathinaikos. On Rangers TV

17:45 Kilmarnock v Rangers (yesterday); 19:30 Ibrox Uncovered; 20:00 The Big Interview: Bobby Brown; 20:30 Kilmarnock v Rangers (repeat); 22:15 Ibrox Uncovered; 22:45 European Adventure; 23:00 Close.