Rangers: Philippe Clement will not accept excuses over busy schedule

The Belgian manager anticipates a “big challenge” in Paisley on Thursday and emphasised the need to win individual battles against Stephen Robinson’s team.

Rangers moved above Aberdeen into second in the league with a victory against Dundee last time out, while the Buddies battled to a 2-1 win over Ross County and sit sixth.

“We know St Mirren is a big challenge,” Clement added. “It’s a team with lots of physicality and a manager who always prepares his team really well.

“We know it’s going to be a tough battle and we’ll need to compete to win and then you can show your football quality. If you don’t win your duels, you’ll get into trouble.”

Clement says the physicality of Scotland’s top flight is far from unique in Europe, and is used to that side of the game from his time as a manager in Belgium and France.

The former Club Brugge and Monaco boss also believes his midfield trio of Nicolas Raskin, Mohamed Diomande and Connor Barron will continue to improve in that aspect as the season progresses.

“Don’t forget that Raskin was injured for eight to nine months so it’s impossible to be at your best after that long out right away,” he said.

“Diomande is here less than a year. He had to adapt to things. Barron knows the league but is still a young player who can still grow, that’s normal.

“The three of them are in the midfield and it’s important to win the duels, it’s important in Scotland.

“People always say this about Scotland but the Belgian league is also the same, in the French league it was the same. It’s not as if you don’t have physicality there.

“You need it in every league. I think in every good league it’s a big part of football, an important part of football.”