PETER VAN VOSSEN, who, has scored four goals in his last two matches, could be the key figure for Rangers against Alania Vladikavkaz in the Champions' Cup preliminary round second leg tie in Russi a tonight. Rangers have a 34 lead from the first leg.

The North Ossetia outpost is less than 40 miles from the border of war torn Chechnya, but Rangers manager Walter Smith insists the match itself is high risk enough for it to be his greatest concern.

For Dutchman van Vossen, simply to be enjoying his football again is an escape to victory after a torrid campaign last year. "It was the worst season I have experienced," said van Vossen, who joined Rangers moved first to Istanbulspor in Turkey from Ajax in the summer of 1995 and then to Glasgow in January in a swap deal for Oleg Salenko.

He quickly inherited Snlenko's misfit tag at Ibrox, but over the close season a heart to heart with Smith salvaged his career.

"At the start of the summer I spoke to the manager and told him I wanted to return to Holland because I was homesick," revealed van Vossen. "There were clubs at home interested, but after my holidays I came back and had another talk with Walter Smith. I asked him if he thought I was a good player and he said I might be, but I had to prove it.

"Now football is fun again for me suddenly. I could have gone back to Holland, but wherever you go, you take your problems with you. Right now, Rangers are the best club for me."

Van Vossen looks set to play with Ally McCoist's inclusion perhaps resting on the fitness of Gordon Durie. Durie, who scored a preliminary round winner against Cypriots Anorthosis Famagusta a year ago, has been taking antibiotics for a chest infection, but could be tired after two days of travelling.

Rangers will be without the suspended Paul Gascoigne and injured pair David Robertson and Alan McLaren. If all three were ready, Smith insists his side would be more than a match for any opposition.

"We have been building up to this level and with the two new players - Joachim Bjorklund and Jorg Albertz - settling in, I feel we have a strong squad," claimed Smith.

Yet this might be the best and last chance for Rangers to reach Europe's top table, even if they do accomplish nine successive domestic titles this term. UEFA plan to alter the format of the competition and the champions of Scotland could find themselves playing not one, but two tightrope prequalifying ties, starting in high summer next July.