Naismith wants no timescale

RANGERS striker Steven Naismith has refused to set a date for his return from a serious knee injury.

The 22-year-old was told to expect up to a year on the sidelines after damaging his anterior cruciate ligament in the Scottish Cup semi-final against St Johnstone in April. Naismith has since undergone successful surgery but is reluctant to push himself to make a quick return to action.

"I don't know when I'll be back and I don't want to know," he said. "I'm not interested. I think the feeling in my knee will let me know when I'm back. I don't want to say, 'in two weeks I need to be doing this', and going for a target which might not help my rehab.

"I'm feeling good and the physio says I'm looking good. It's all been positive so far."

Naismith revealed the injury was actually caused by a tackle by Martin Hardie and not when he caught his studs in the turf.

"Martin Hardie and I were at Kilmarnock together and he got my number off one of the boys and texted me afterwards. Basically he just said he was sorry and that was good. I appreciated that."