Rangers have been refused permission to postpone Saturday's SPL match against Dundee United and will not therefore have additional time in which to prepare for next week's European showpiece against Zenit St Petersburg.

The SPL were criticised by Rangers last month when they set May 22 as the date for the end of the season, and their refusal to stretch out the SPL campaign further has left Walter Smith's side with little time in which to fit in their games.

Postponements earlier in the campaign have left Rangers with seven matches - five in the SPL and two cup finals - to fit into 18 days.

Zenit have a free weekend after Russian league chiefs accepted a request to call off their domestic commitments until after the clash with Rangers.

Rangers have made their position clear with strongly-worded attacks on the SPL, and Smith admits the row has done the game no harm.

"I think it is doing damage, there's no doubt about it," he said.

"People are saying there's no support for a team in a European final. And that (message) is going across Europe and the world at the moment.

"There will be a certain amount of damage to the reputation of the game because of that, I have no doubt."