The 7 Rangers games in 21 days as season-defining run set to push Philippe Clement's squad to its limit

Yes, it is only October. But when you break down Rangers' upcoming run of games you can see just how vital it could prove to their overall campaign.

It's already been a hectic season for Philippe Clement both on and off the park. A busy summer window, a temporary move away from Ibrox and a Champions League elimination have made it tough for the Belgian boss - who is also trailing in the race for the Premiership crown by five points. But Rangers are still fighting for four trophies this season with Europa League football on the agenda as well as the usual three domestic competitions - Scottish Premiership, Premier Sports Cup and the yet to get up and running Scottish Cup.

Clement and his troops are currently between the training ground and on international duty - but when things get back up and running it could be season defining for the campaign. Before domestic football goes back into cold storage in November, Clement will know he is already approaching a make or break point.

Why you ask? Well to put it simply, they face a run of seven games in three weeks. They are already playing catch up to Aberdeen and Celtic - both boasting seven wins from seven outings - in the league with the top two going head to head in the next game. That will present a chance to claw the gap back on the top two with Rangers returning from the break with a tricky Sunday lunchtime clash next weekend at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock.

Just four days later focus turns to Europa League duty with Steaua Bucharest making the trip to Ibrox. Clement and Co got off to a flying start on matchday one with three points on the road at Malmo. However, Lyon hit them for four in Govan last time out meaning they have three points from two matches. This is