How Derek McInnes has now accelerated Olwethu Makhanya's Rangers integration

Rangers took part in a behind closed doors friendlies against Partick Thistle in the run-up to their Europa League qualifier.

Derek McInnes' side were far from their best when they took on Dundee United at Tannadice.

The 1-1 draw was not the result expected by the Bears with sights fully set on winning the Scottish Premiership title.

However, it is still early days for the G51 outfit as they now set focus on facing Jagiellonia Bialystok.

In Rangers' predicted XI to face Jagiellonia Bialystok, we had put new signing Olwethu Makhanya among the changes.

Now, McInnes' plan for the South African appears to be to fast track his readiness at Ibrox ahead of that fixture.

Olwethu Makhanya makes first Rangers appearance - here's what happened

McInnes' side have managed to find time to get another game under their belt before they travel to Poland.

The Daily Record has shared details that the Bears took on Partick Thistle behind closed doors in what was a 6-2 win for McInnes' squad.

Ryan Naderi was on the scoresheet three times after playing just 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, Connor Barron, Lyall Cameron and Clinton Nsiala were all involved despite their futures being unknown.

However, more interestingly was the involvement of both Makhanya and Vanja Dragojevic.

The Serbian midfielder played a full half as he looks to get ready to make his debut for the Bears.

Additionally, Makhanya was utilised, although his game time has not been shared.

But the usage of both Makhanya and Dragojevic alongside those out of favour or fringe players does suggest McInnes is looking to get them ready as soon as possible.

Why Dragojevic and Makhanya may not need much conditioning

Although the two new signings did not get a pre-season with Rangers, they did still have a solid summer of conditioning.

Dragojevic was involved with FK Partizan throughout their pre-season matches, making a couple of appearances for the Belgrade outfit.

Meanwhile, Makhanya was training with South Africa throughout the World Cup.

However, Makhanya may need a little extra work as he did not make an appearance in the tournament and may not be quite as match sharp.

So, the move to get them involved in the game against Partick Thistle could turn out to be an extremely shrewd move.

Rangers fans will be eagerly awaiting their proper debut in a competitive match now.