Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield says his side don’t fear Kilmarnock’s plastic pitch – but they should still be banned

SCOTT ARFIELD believes Kilmarnock’s plastic pitch should be outlawed – but the Rangers midfielder insists his side do not fear the Rugby Park surface.

The Ibrox club return to Ayrshire on Wednesday night for the first time since winger Jamie Murphy suffered a serious knee injury back in August.

Murphy’s knee appeared to buckle on the artificial turf and he is now expected to miss up to nine months of action as a result.

Angry Gers boss Steven Gerrard said after that Betfred Cup clash that there was no place for plastic in the top professional ranks.

Arfield backs that view but stressed there would be no trepidation in the Light Blues ranks as they run out to face Killie desperate to avoid a stumble that could hand Celtic the edge again in the title race.

“I just echo the gaffer’s thoughts and the rest of the managers in this league,” said the 30-year-old.

“I don’t think these surfaces should be anywhere near top-level football but it is what it is. It’s another obstacle to overcome and we need to just go and win the game.

“I don’t think you can (go into the game with any trepidation). If you go in with that you are doing yourself harm and more so the team harm.

“So I don’t think there is any hesitation going into the game and you see these injuries happen in grass football.

“It was one of those things. Obviously it was a shocker for Jamie and a shocker for us and I think it’s more likely to happen on these artificial surfaces. I just echo those thoughts that they shouldn’t be anywhere near it.”

It is three weeks since Gers were last in action when they claimed a vital Old Firm victory over Celtic.

And Arfield says the feel-good factor swirling round Ibrox remains just as high as it was when the final whistle sounded on their 1-0 triumph over Brendan Rodgers’ side.

He said: “After a result like that you move on fairly quickly but you remember that feeling and compare that against the feeling we had at Parkhead in September.

“So there is obviously still a buzz there but it is up to us to keep that buzz going because there is no point in putting all that hard work in and then undoing it tomorrow night.

“I think everybody maxed out for the Celtic game and rightly so but every game should be that big when you play for a club of this size.

“Every game is huge and it’s another game towards a successful year. So every game should be that.”