DADO PRSO will have to prove his fitness to Walter Smith before he is offered a new deal by Rangers.

The 32-year-old striker is out of contract at the end of the season and is hoping to remain at Ibrox after his agent said he was given the go-ahead to play for another season.

But a club spokesman said: "There is nothing planned at the moment. We will wait and see what happens later in the season."

There were fears Prso, who has been troubled with knee problems for years, would have to hang up his boots in the summer.

After retiring from international football with Croatia to allow him to play on longer at club level, Prso, according to agent Ranko Stojic, has been told he doesn't face any long-term damage by playing on for at least another 12 months.

But Smith wants to see the striker, who is currently out with a hamstring injury, become a regular starter in his team before committing to a new deal.

The Ibrox boss is a big fan of Prso and believes, when fit, he is a massive player for the club. But he wants to make sure he'll spend more time on the pitch instead of the treatment table.

Stojic is confident the veteran still has a future in the game, and says there has been interest from Qatar.

He said: "Dado has been told he can play on for the minimum of one more season. He has had his problems with his knee in the past, but he is very happy at the moment.

"He will see how things go until the end of the season, but the doctor has said there are no risks for him or his club and there are no problems."

Prso is building towards a first-team return and could be back for the home game with Falkirk on Saturday of next week.

The striker has resumed light running and reckons he would need "a week to 10 days" to get full fitness.

It appears, though, that Prso isn't the only player causing Smith concerns on the injury front.

Reports claim Stevie Smith's season could depend on a specialist's verdict on his groin injury. The highly-rated full-back hasn't played since the 1-1 draw with Celtic at Ibrox on December 17.

Smith travelled to England yesterday to be checked out by a specialist and Rangers are now waiting for word back on when he'll be ready to return to first-team action.

When Smith was Scotland manager, he was on the verge of calling up the young defender against France, but the Gers star was out injured on that occasion also.

The Ibrox manager feels his namesake is good enough to become a key player at Rangers and is hoping to have him available again for selection as quickly as possible.