GRAEME Souness has enlisted the help of his old club Rangers to boost Rovers' preparations for Thursday's UEFA Cup clash with Celtic at Parkhead.

Rovers will put the finishing touches to their plans for the second round tie by training at Rangers' Murray Park complex on the morning of the big game.

And the fact that Rangers are assisting the English club ahead of a Parkhead showdown with their Old Firm rivals will only serve to further intensify the pre-match atmosphere.

Souness, who will return to Parkhead as a manager for the first time since losing his final Old Firm game in charge of Rangers, a 3-0 reverse in March 1991, is relishing the renewal of his old rivalry.

"The game has a Scotland v England scenario to it, but we will have half of Glasgow wanting us to win it," said the Rovers boss.

Rovers will travel to Glasgow tomorrow morning where they will be put through their paces at Murray Park shortly after arriving.

And, though Souness is expecting a hostile reception when he walks out at Parkhead with his players 24 hours later, Thursday's game cannot come soon enough for him.

"I'm really looking forward to going back to Parkhead. It's a fantastic stadium and it will be a tremendously hostile atmosphere," said Souness.

"If I was to go there and I was hardly noticed, it would mean I didn't do a good job in my time at Rangers," added the former Rangers boss.

"If I go there and get a dog's abuse, I will be chuffed about it.

"I'm really looking forward to going back to Parkhead. It's a fantastic stadium and it will be a tremendously hostile atmosphere.

"If you've got anything about you, that's the sort of place you want to go and show you can play."

Meanwhile, Celtic star Stilian Petrov has vowed to play through the pain barrier against in Thursday's UEFA Cup clash with Blackburn. The Bulgarian international broke a bone in his hand during Sunday's league win over Dunfermline.