Rangers and St Johnstone kick-off a busy weekend of Scottish Premiership action on Friday night with both teams vying to keep pace with Aberdeen and Celtic above them.

With the two teams locked on equal points, this one could well be the most competitive fixture of the week and should provide a thoroughly entertaining encounter to ease everyone in after the international break.

For Rangers it's the start of a massive October which will see them play in a national semi-final and attempt to string together consistency in an effort to ease pressure on manager Pedro Caixinha. For St Johnstone it's a way to prove they can hang with the big boys at the top end of the table after an impressive start to the league season.

The trip to McDiarmid Park will not be an easy one for the Light Blues, all four matches against the Saints last term were close-fought encounters and they should expect the same again.

While it's a bonus for Pedro Caixinha that Tommy Wright's top performer Michael O'Halloran cannot feature for the side due to being a Rangers loanee, there are other danger men he has to look out for.

Here are three Rangers must be wary of...

Steven MacLean

St Johnstone veteran may be 35 years of age at this point, but he's shown at the start of this season that there's plenty of life in him yet with three important goals for the club, including one against Celtic at Celtic Park, which was enough to earn his side a draw.

Over the years he's proven to be a reliable goalscorer for Saints, reaching double figures in three of his last five seasons at the club. The player, who actually started his career at Rangers, will be the focal point of Tommy Wright's attacking set-up on Friday night with the absence of Michael O'Halloran blunting one his best options in the final third.

He seemed riled by Pedro Caixinha's comments this week too, perhaps demonstrating he will be extra-motivated for this one in an effort to shut the Portuguese manager up.

The defensive line-up of Rangers is not yet known due to recoveries from injuries and international duties, so he'll also be looking to capitalise on potential communication issues at the back and sneak in to get a vital goal.

Liam Craig

Like Stevie MacLean, Liam Craig is another leader in the St Johnstone team that has been a vital part of their consistent high finishes in the Scottish Premiership under Tommy Wright.

The midfielder, who can play on the left as well as through the middle, has made over 300 appearances for the Perth side in two spells at the club and will be the man tasked with creating something in the final third on Friday night.

He's proven to be effective so far at the start of the season, netting twice and assisting three times for his side. Rangers will need to be wary of his ability to commit runs forward and support attacks, with the ability to finish from the edge of the box from balls breaking out and the vision to provide that cutting edge final pass.

The Rangers midfield has struggled to support their defensive line at times this season and it's an area of the pitch supporters will be looking to see improvement in, in what will be a competitive and physical midfield battle from flank to flank.

Murray Davidson

Yet another player who has made hundreds of appearances for St Johnstone is Murray Davidson. The St Johnstone man  has been a one-club man so far in his career but it's these loyalties to the club that make them such a tricky proposition for opponents in the Scottish Premiership.

A game doesn't go by that he won't give every part of himself for and his tireless work in the heart of the Saints midfield will give the likes of Graham Dorrans and Ryan Jack a fierce test.

The 29-year-old was once tipped for bigger things than St Johnstone, but he's stayed the course. This season so far he's been in fine form, netting twice for Tommy Wright's side and putting in the kind of battling performances that make the Perth side so tough to beat.