Rangers reserve midfielder Andrew Shinnie is to join Dundee on a loan deal until January.

The 19-year-old made two first team appearances for the Ibrox club last year, both as a late substitute.

And Shinnie was captain of Rangers’ Under-19 side that won the league and cup double last season.

Meanwhile, Dundee manager Jocky Scott has rewarded teenage defender Kyle Benedictus with a new contract after his promotion to the top team.

The 16-year-old has played in three matches since Scott took over at the end of October.

“We’ve got Kyle tied up on a new contract, it’s a better one and an extended one,” Scott told the club website.

“I see a big future for him, hence the reason why I’ve put him on the new contract, he’s shown me a lot of potential to become a right good player.

“He’s done very well in the three games he’s been involved in, I’m not getting carried away about it but the potential he’s shown deserves a bit of a boost and that’s what we’ve given him.”

CHRIS BURKE’S time at Rangers could be drawing to a close with Nottingham Forest ready to mount a bid

 in January.

The winger was watched by Forest chief scout Keith Burt during yesterday’s reserve clash with Inverness.

Ibrox boss Walter Smith would be prepared to cut his losses on the player who earns s12,000 a week and has struggled to get into the first team after returning from a long-term ankle injury.

But with Forest in trouble at the foot of the English Championship, Burke may prefer to hang around despite Rangers looking to free up a substantial drain on their wage bill.

Gers kid Andrew Shinnie, 19, is likely to be loaned out to Dundee next week.

KENNY MILLER has been forced to withdraw from Scotland’s glamour friendly with Argentina on Wednesday night and is a major doubut for next weekend’s Ibrox clash with Aberdeen. 

The Rangers star limped into Murray Park this morning with a calf injury which got progessively worse over the weekend.

He was immediately withdrawn from the Scotland squad and now the Rangers medical team will work to try to get Miller fit for the Dons game.

Miller was instrumental in Saturday’s 2-1 win over St Mirren setting up both goal for Kris Boyd and Steve Davis.

However, he took a kick on the calf in that game and the swelling increased overnight and again yesterday.

Madjid Bougherra is also unlikely to play for Algeria on Wednesday. He has travelled, along with Brahim Hemdani, for the African Nations Cup qualifier against Mali but his calf injury should mean that he does not play.

Rangers boss Walter Smith, however, is hopeful that the powerful centre back will be fit to return to the side for the Aberdeen game on Saturday.

Neither DaMarcus Beasley nor Mo Edu have been selected by the United States for their largely meaningless World Cup qualifier with Guatemala which is good news for Smith.

Equally, Pedro Mendes has not been selected for Portugal’s glamour friendly in Brazil which means he will be fresh for this weekend.

Rangers are set to launch an audacious bid to add to their Northern Ireland contingent at Ibrox with a loan swoop for Jonny Evans.

Light Blues boss Walter Smith is understood to have already made an enquiry to close friend and United boss Sir Alex Ferguson about the 20-year old defender.

Ferguson has already turned down a £10 million bid from Sunderland for Evans this year and has tipped him to be the natural successor to Rio Ferdinand.

But Gers chief Smith is also on the look-out for a long term replacement for veteran defender David Weir and is keen to team Evans up with international pals Steven Davis and Kyle Lafferty in Glasgow.

But with Evans forcing his way into first-team contention at Old Trafford in recent months with a string of fine performances in both the Champions League and Premier League, any move to Scotland would be short-term.

FT - Rangers 2-1 St Mirren. It’s all over and if you’d said at half-time Walter Smith’s men would stumble over the finishing line, nobody would have believed you. Until St Mirren scored with 10 minutes left, the

 hosts were cruising but might have drawn this game in the end. As it is, they have three points in the bag and they’re deserved for the overall effort. 

90 mins - It’s a third booking and Somers is losing his grip on the game a little. Whittaker tries to go past Jack Ross and is obstructed but the caution is a bit harsh.

86 mins - McGinn makes the most of a Mendes challenge on him and throws himself to the ground. Referee David Somers gives a free kick, which Dargo bends around the wall only to see McGregor save. Mendes is booked and moments later Miller joins him on a yellow card.

85 mins - This isn’t the way the match should be finishing. Despite the glut of chances they’ve had, Gers are struggling to see the game out.

82 mins - Saints are chasing a leveller now and after Novo taps wide, Will Haining gets on the end of a right-wing corner but his header is always going far too high.

80 mins - GOAL! Back come the Buddies as Miranda makes it 2-1. Gers have been in a comfort zone for so long and should be out of sight by now but they’re sweating after this one. Dargo puts Miranda in on goal with a cute backheel and the Argentine full-back blasts across McGregor and inside the far post.

78 mins - Miller releases the overlapping Whittaker on the left and he intelligently picks out Davis, whose grasscutter rolls a foot wide of Howard’s left-and post.

77 mins - SUBSTITUTION: Adam’s day comes to an end and he is replaced by Nacho Novo as Rangers make their first change. Needless to say, the popular Spaniard’s introduction goes down rather well.

75 mins - St Mirren have their best chance of the match as Whittaker is caught out of position and a cross comes in for Wyness, who connects well and is inches from bringing the game back to life.

73 mins - It just doesn’t seem to be Miller’s day, even if he has been the best player on the park. Broadfoot crosses low from the right and the former Derby man gets there first but his shot smacks off the bar before the ball is cleared for a corner. Lee McCulloch heads it past when it comes in from Davis.

71 mins - Adam collects after Whittaker is stopped on the left and crosses for Boyd, whose header is a yard over the woodwork.

63 mins - More good football from Gers. This time Davis and Boyd play a pair of one-twos before the latter rifles at the target and Howard scrambles across his line to tip round the post.

62 mins - Great effort from Miller. He cuts in and drive at the upright with his left foot from the edge of the penalty area. Howard palms it away and when Boyd collects the reboud, he is curiously flagged offside.

57 mins - SUBSTITUTIONS: St Mirren boss Gus MacPherson decides to go for it and throws on two strikers. Craig Dargo and Dennis Wyness both enter the fray, with Billy Mehmet and Andy Dorman departing.

52 mins - We see two sides of Miller in a matter of seconds - first of all, he beats Howard to the ball and skips past him wide on the right but then moves towards goal and takes a touch too many. That allows a Saints defender to get back on the line and when Miller shoots, he blazes over when he should bury it.

48 mins - McGinn stabs the ball goalwards from 25 yards but McGregor holds it easily. Gers break forward in response and a lovely Miller ball puts Ferguson in. His first attempt is blocked and the second is tipped wide by Howard.

46 mins - Saints get the action underway once more and there are no further changes at this stage.

HT - Rangers 2-0 St Mirren. Gers have totally coasted the first 45 minutes and while they lead by two, it could easily be by more. Their goals were excellent and some of their one-touch football has been really good to watch.

45 mins - Some great play as the interval approaches. Miller and Mendes combine superbly on the right and Boyd heads over when the cross comes in from Broadfoot.

40 mins - SUBSTITUTION: Saints make the first change of the game as the injured Steven Robb comes off and Stephen McGinn - the matchwinner when these sides met last month - replaces him.

37 mins - Another nice move from Rangers. Firstly Adam dummies a cross-field pass to allow Whittaker space to collect it and when he crosses low, Miller steps over the ball and Boyd shoots wide.

35 mins - Mendes is okay and Ferguson rolls the set piece to Boyd but St Mirren’s wall seems to break early and the effort is blocked when it should perhaps have been retaken.

34 mins - Rangers win a free kick as Miller is pulled back by Brady but of more concern is the fact Mendes is lying in a heap in the middle of the pitch.

32 mins - It’s another opportunity for the home team but Boyd heads wide after good work by Davis, Barry Ferguson, Mendes and Adam.

23 mins - Gers look so dangerous every time they come forward. This time Mendes finds Adam but he leans back a little too much and his drive sails over the upright.

22 mins - Miller is really alert today and he plays a great one-two with Adam in the left channel before seeing his on-target shot blocked. Unlucky.

21 mins - Mendes splits the defence with his pass to Miller but instead of shooting, the forward checks back inside. He then sends the ball towards goal after finding nobody is upfield with him and his effort loops just over with the aid of a deflection.

20 mins - After an action-packed first 10 minutes of the match, the second 10 have been much quieter. Rangers going two goals ahead has killed the game as a contest for the time being at least.

9 mins - GOAL! Some lovely stuff from Rangers and they’re clearly getting the chances they missed on Wednesday at Motherwell out of their system here. Miller’s deft touch plays in Kirk Broadfoot on the right, he plays back inside and the striker feeds to Steven Davis who rifles home. It’s 2-0 and the Light Blues are cruising.

6 mins - A couple of chances for Saints as they try to hit back. Garry Brady tries his luck first but fires over then Franco Miranda heads just too high from a corner.

5 mins - Miller does really well to get ahead of his man in the box and although he has to take the ball away from goal, he crosses from the right and Pedro Mendes heads wide.

4 mins - GOAL! Guess who? That’s right, it’s that man Boyd who opens the scoring and it’s his 150th career goal at club level. He heads down to Miller, his strike partner touches it back to him and Boyd does the rest from 20 yards. It’s a low strike and Mark Howard has no chance.

1 min - Boyd lays off to Adam and straight away he is involved, having a go from 25 yards but fizzing the ball wide. He is off target but it was worth a go.

0 mins - Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller get the game underway. Walter Smith has made three changes for this game and two of them are notable - Lee McCulloch plays his first game for the club at centre-half in Madjid Bougherra’s place and Charlie Adam is on the left of midfield. It’s his first outing in six weeks.

RANGERS: McGregor; Broadfoot, Weir, McCulloch, Whittaker; Davis, Mendes, Ferguson, Adam; Miller, Boyd.

Subs: Alexander, Edu, Novo, Dailly, Lafferty, McMillan, Shinnie.

ST MIRREN: Smith; Ross, Haining, Potter, Miranda; Dorman, Murray, Brady, Mason, Robb; Mehmet.

Subs: Smith, Wyness, Dargo, Hamilton, McAulsand, McGinn, Cuthbert.

REF: David Somers.

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WALTER SMITH admits that missed opportunities proved costly for Rangers in tonight’s goalless draw at Fir Park. 

And he also voiced his frustration at the Main Stand linesman’s decision to rule Kris Boyd offside in the second-half.

The Gers’ no 9 latched on to a through pass before hammering a shot beyond Graeme Smith but the official raised his flag when Boyd was clearly in line with a Motherwell defender.

This capped a disappointing night for the Light Blues who have now slipped four points behind Celtic in the title race.

Smith said: “I thought the game was similar to last week against Dundee United in that it was a good match and we had to work hard for our opportunities.

“We created enough of them to win the game but didn’t manage to take them which is, of course, very disappointing.

“We are also annoyed with the decision against Kris Boyd in the second-half. He e got through and scored but was ruled offside when clearly he wasn’t.

“Apart from that we had to work very hard tonight.

“The first half hour was pretty even and we came into it after that and created three or four really good opportunities to score before half-time.

“We didn’t take them and I felt at that stage if we had got in front we could have stepped up from there but it wasn’t to be.”

One positive note from the night was that Barry Ferguson came through the 90 minutes unscathed although Smith insists it was the player’s decision to stay on the pitch for the full game.

He said: “We did not intend to play Barry for 90 minutes tonight.

“We felt if he got an hour that would be good for him but as the game went on he was keen to stay on.

“It was a good 90 minutes for him and we are relieved that Sasa is also recovering from his knock towards the end.

“He took a nasty one tonight but seems to be ok in the Dressing Room.”

TWO of Rangers’ SPL fixtures early next year have been moved so that they can be broadcast live by Setanta Sports.

The trip to face Aberdeen at Pittodrie will still take place on January 24 but will now start at 12.30pm rather than 3pm.

Gers’ next away clash with Celtic at Parkhead, originally pencilled in for Valentine’s Day, will instead take place on February 15 at 12.30pm.

FT: Motherwell 0 Rangers 0 - Rangers away form continues to let them down after tonight’sgoalless draw at Fir Park. Motherwell played well on the night but Walter Smith’s men will rue several missed chances, particularly in the first-half. Celtic now move four points clear at the top of the SPL.

90 min - Bougherra makes a last ditch run down the right channel and his cross is flicked on by Novo but Boyd can’t connect. The ball goes out for a goal kick.

88 min - Two minutes added on for injury time. Not looking good for Gers.

86 min - Graeme Smith shows a bit of nerves by running out of his area to boot the ball out of the stadium and waste time for his side.

85 min - Kenny Miller crosses into the 18-yard box but Novo’s header lacks conviction and is well wide of target. Time running out for both sides to get a winner.

80 min - A Hughes shot is deflected for a corner. Steven McGarry takes but Kenny Miller clears. Motherwell look most likely to score at this stage.

78 min - Rangers substitution - Steven Whittaker on for Sasa Papac.

78 min - Cross is swung in and Papac is takes a heavy knock to the head from Chris Porter. It looked accidental but the left-back is carried off on a stretcher.

77 min - Stephen Hughes swerves a fantastic right-foot shot from 25-yards into Allan McGregor’s top left corner but the keeper pulls off a wonder stop to deny the former Ibrox midfielder. 

74 min - Rangers’ substitution - Nacho Novo on for Kyle Lafferty. Gers in need of something special from their Spanish super-sub.

69 min - Kenny Miller does well to win a corner for his side. Ball is played short and Davis eventually crosses but again the ball is too near to Smith who catches it with ease.

68 min - Boyd puts the ball in the net after latching on to a long pass but is already ruled offside. Gers fans calling for Nacho Novo to be introduced to the play.

66 min - It’s not proving to be Lafferty’s night. Miller teed up the lanky Irishman with a clever in field pass but his shot from 18 yards is skewed wide of goal.

64 min - Rangers agin go on the attack but a long, high cross from Kirk Broadfoot gives Graeme Smith loads of time to pick the ball from the sky. More quality needed with the final pass.

61 min - Mendes shoots from 25 yards but his first real attempt on goal is too near Smith and he dives to his right to make a decent stop.

56 min - The home side have again started the second-half in a positive manner but Gers always look dangerous on the break.

55 min - Motherwell claim for a penalty after Sasa Papac miss hits a clearance and the ball looks to spin up and hit his hand. Ref waves away any pleas and rightly so. 

53 min - Back up the other end! Hughes finds Porter in the Gers 18-yard box and his turn and shot is brilliantly tipped over the bar by McGregor.

52 min - End to end stuff now. Steven Davis is released down the right wing and his low delivery across the face of goal is inches away from Boyd’s outstretched boot. Ball goes out for a goal kick.

51 min - Free-kick awarded to Motherwell 20 yards from Gers goal. Hammell takes and his low, dipping shot is well held by McGregor who dives to his left, 

50 min - Kyle Lafferty sprints 40 yards with the ball but his pass to Kris Boyd cannons off Barry Ferguson and Motherwell counter attack.

47 min - Yellow card. Bougherra is the first player in Steve Conroy’s book for a late tackle.  

45 min - Rangers start the second-half. No changes for either team.

HT: Motherwell 0 Rangers 0 - Mark McGhee’s men started the stronger of the two teams but Rangers had chances galore in the final 15 minutes. Miller, Boyd and Ferguson are all guilty of missing excellent chances and will wonder how they have not put their side at least a goal up. The game, however, remains in the balance.

45 min - Lafferty gives away a foul and Steven Hammell’s dangerous cross floats across Allan McGregor’s goal with no takers. Excellent delivery from the Well no. 3.

44 min - Davis again plays a long ball which Lafferty flicks on. Miller tries to lob Smith but his tame effort does not have the height or power to beat the keeper.

42 min - It’s all Rangers right now and the Motherwell defence is creaking. A long ball from Davis finds Boyd running through but he fails to control the ball and it slides through to Smith again. Another opportunity passes by for the visitors.

40 min - A long ball is flicked on by Boyd and Miller it around the static Bob Malcolm. The Gers’ no. 18 is wide of goal and his right foot effort is again brilliantly saved by Smith who is keeping his side in the game.

37 min - Chance for Barry Ferguson to open the scoring. Miller crosses the ball low from the left and it falls to Ferguson who sclaffs his first effort. The skipper gets a second bite at it but can’t toe poke it past the diving Graeme Smith from  eight yards. Frustration for Gers.

32 min - Steven Davis crosses from the right wing but Kyle Lafferty and Paul Quinn both miss the ball at the back post and it runs out for a throw-in.

31 min - Rangers concede a free-kick 20 yards from goal but Bob Malcolm’s effort hits the Gers wall and goes out for a corner. Ball is again cleared.

30 min - Davis crosses from the resulting corner and Boyd heads inches over Graeme Smith’s bar.

28 min - Best chance of the game fall to Rangers. Boyd finds his strike partner Kenny Miller in acres of space but the Scotland striker takes one too many touches and Motherwell eventually clear for a corner. Miller should have done better.

25 min - Madjid Bougherra tries to drag his side into the game with a surging run and cross but Smith dives on the ball before it can reach Kris Boyd. Excellent play nevertheless from the pacey Algerian.

23 min - Well’ right-back Paul Quinn pushes forward and has time and space to deliver a wicked cross which McGregor does well to hold under pressure. 

22 min - Bob Malcolm shows a bit of silky footwork to beat Kris Boyd, much to the delight of the vocal home support.

18 min - There’s a bit of nervousness from Rangers’ backline in the opening stages of the game. Ferguson and Mendes need to get the ball down and start dictating the play.

16 min - Mendes delivers a inswinging free-kick from the left wing but Smith jumps above Sasa Papac to claim the ball.

14 min - Scare for Gers. Keith Lasley evades the Gers defence and his low shot from inside the 18-yard box is only parried by McGregor. The ball is eventually cleared but it’s a real chance for the home side to take the lead.

11 min - Barry Ferguson looks to be brought down 25 yards from goal but referee Steve Conroy lets play continue and Kris Boyd produces a snap shot which Smith saves.

9 min - Steven Davis has space in the middle of the pitch but his clever through ball to the on-rushing Kenny Miller is intercepted by Bob Malcolm.

4 min - Marc Fitzpatrick crosses deep from the left wing and Sasa Papac has to be lively to head the ball away under pressure. Gers need to be tighter to the home side’s wide men.

2 min - Kyle Lafferty, who has started on the left side of midfield, tries his luck with a 20 yard shot which is easily gathered by Graeme Smith.

1 min - Early cross from Well’s Stephen Hughes is headed clear by David Weir.

0 min - Motherwell start the match from the kick-off. Perfect conditions at Fir Park this evening.

MOTHERWELL: G. Smith, Quinn, Hammell, Reynolds, Hughes, Malcolm, Porter, Sutton, Lasley, Fitzpatrick, McGarry.

Subs: Nielsen, D. Smith, Murphy, O’Brien, Meechan, McHugh, Page.

RANGERS: McGregor; Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Papac; Davis, Ferguson, Mendes, Lafferty; Miller, Boyd.

Subs: Alexander, Edu, Novo, McCulloch, Whittaker, Loy, Shinnie.

Referee: Steve Conroy

RANGERS will face Faliirk for a place in the first major final of the season, the Co-operative Insurance Cup.

They were drawn against John Hughes’ side at the Scottish Parliament Building today. Celtic will play Dundee United in other semi-final.

The match will take place in either Tuesday, January 27 or Wednesday, January 28.