Pedro will give his Ibrox stars a fortnight off

PEDRO CAIXINHA last night revealed his Rangers squad’s summer holidays will last a fortnight by naming Monday, June 5 as the date work starts for next season. The news settles the uncertainty over when Caixinha wanted to begin the tough graft towards the Europa League qualifiers which kick-off on Thursday, June 29.

Caixinha had been irked by stories suggesting there was dressing-room dismay at the prospect of a June 1 return to training and just ten days off.

The bulk of the first team will enjoy an extra four days off. However, if any players are involved in World Cup qualifiers on June 10, then they may not get any rest.

In explaining his closeseason plans, Caixinha (left) admitted that the schedule was far from ideal but forced upon him by the desire to prepare for European football.

And if that means the honeymoon is over for captain Lee Wallace, then so be it. Wallace is due to be married on June 11, the day after the Scotland-England clash.

Caixinha has ordered him back in that week with the rest of the Ibrox internationals that may include Barrie McKay and Lee Hodson.

There will not be any foreign jaunts, either, in contrast to last year when Mark Warburton’s squad flew to the United States to build up to Betfred Cup opening games.

Caixinha said: ‘We will be back on June 5. It is official. We don’t have time to go away, so we will stay in Scotland from the 5th until the 29th.

‘We’ll spend the first four days assessing and screening in terms of medicals and fitness and some major principles we want from the team.

‘Then we will have three weeks of preparation and three matches.

‘Lee is getting married on June 11 — the day after the Scotland game.

He is going to be off that day and the day after.

‘There is not going to be a honeymoon. The players need to have days off and vacations and, when possible, they will have that.’

Wallace has been injured since being replaced at half-time on April 1 in Caixinha’s second match in charge.

‘For now, Lee has three days off this weekend,’ said Caixinha. ‘That’s life. Life is not perfect.’

Far from perfect, too, is the summer slate of games for signing targets selected for international duty at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.

Caixinha hinted that prospective Rangers players will be involved in that competition, which takes place from June 17 and July 2, with the final in St Petersburg.

‘On the markets we are watching, we have players who finish the week before we start,’ he said. ‘We may also have players involved in the Confederations Cup, which is in Russia.’