James Tavernier has joked he hopes it rains as Rangers take on Kilmarnock at Rugby Park this weekend.

Michael Beale's side make the short journey down the M77 tomorrow for their Premiership opener against Killie.

The game will kick-off at 5.15pm at Rugby Park, with the Sky Sports cameras there to cover the match.

The Light Blues recorded a 3-2 win over Killie on their only trip to Ayrshire last season, but in recent years, dating back to Steve Clarke and beyond, Rangers have endured a fairly poor record there.

Of course, as has been well-documented for numerous seasons now, Killie have a plastic pitch, along with Livingston.

It's no secret that opposition teams don't enjoy playing on it when they visit, although some players and managers have certainly used it as a scapegoat to mask their own deficiencies over the years.

Tavernier refused to use it as an excuse for any potential poor performance on Saturday evening, but he did quip that he'd like the weather to be on Rangers' side in order to make the surface more zippy rather than sticky.

He said: "When you start pre-season, you want the new season to start as fast as possible. It's only around the corner now. We can't wait to go down to Kilmarnock and get the job done.

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"It doesn't matter how you win. We know it's going to be a tough opposition on a tough pitch with the astro. Hopefully, it rains that day.

"We know it's going to be tough, but we're going to do everything possible to come back with the three points."

Glasgow Times:

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