RANGERS boss Walter Smith today urged his players to crank up the heat on Celtic by narrowing the gap in the SPL title race to two points this weekend.

Smith's side take on struggling Falkirk at Ibrox on Saturday - 24 hours before the Hoops play a difficult away game against Aberdeen.

The Light Blues will play ahead of their Old Firm rivals in the league for the next three weeks.

They take on the Dons away from home on Saturday, January 24, in an early kick-off before Celtic square up to Hibs at Parkhead.

The following week they host Dundee United the day before the current league leaders make the long journey north to play Inverness Caley Thistle at the Tulloch Stadium.

And Smith, whose side beat St John-stone 2-0 in the Homecoming Scottish Cup at McDiarmid Park last night, is hoping they can pile the pressure on Celtic during that run. The Rangers manager thinks Gordon Strachan's team will find it tough going at Pittodrie - just as they did earlier in the season in a 1-1 draw.

He told the Rangers News: "Clubs in Scotland are under-estimated at times for the amount of work and time the managers and players put in and there are some very difficult games.

"We had a terrific game with Dundee United at Ibrox recently which ended in a draw. They have been to Ibrox and drawn and they have gone to Celtic Park and drawn.

"So it shows that it's by no means certain you are going to win every match."

Smith added: "Our sole aim is that draws like that one are eradicated in the second half of the season and turned into wins. The pressure is on us to do so.

"We have to win. When you are trailing by five points, as we are, then the onus is on us to catch up and it means then that we simply have to focus on winning matches.

"Sometimes people make a lot of the fact that one team is playing ahead of the other in the sense that it may put pressure on the team playing later.

"I'm not so sure. The pressure is there for all clubs to win matches, regardless of what happens before you play or what might happen after you play."

Smith revealed he is ready to welcome forgotten man Andrius Velicka back to the fray after the Lithuanian striker's recovery from injury.

And he welcomed the return of Steven Naismith - who played in the triumph at Perth - after a lengthy injury lay-off.

He said: "Steven can offer us something different because he can play in a number of positions. He can play wide right, left or as a striker.

"He has been looking forward to getting back and there has been no keener lad in training. The physios have had to hold him back more than anything."