Rangers manager Walter Smith has urged FIFA to end weeks of uncertainty by reaching a decision over Daniel Cousin's protracted move to Fulham.Both clubs agreed the £3million transfer on January 22 but require special dispensation for the deal to be completed because the striker, 30, has already played for two clubs this season.

FIFA have not decided whether to rubber-stamp the move and confirmed to PA Sport this afternoon that no date had been set for that decision, leaving both clubs in limbo.

Cousin is still registered to play for Rangers but has not featured for almost three weeks because Smith is reluctant to risk injury while the Fulham deal is still alive.

The Rangers boss said: "The problem we are having is that it's taking so long that his lack of match practice is going to be a problem whichever way the decision goes.

"If he goes to Fulham, they will obviously have the same problems as ourselves at the present moment, that he won't have had sufficient match practice in the last few weeks.

"So, it's beginning to get to that stage where we are going to have to look and see what's best for both parties.

"We can use him just now, he still remains a player we can use. But it's complicated by the fact that, once we have made arrangements to transfer the player and he has gone through medicals at Fulham, it becomes awkward to play him because you take the chance of the player becoming injured.

"It's an awkward situation and not one that we're used to but we are hoping for a resolution shortly.

"It would only be fair from all sides that they do that and let us get on with whatever the decision is.

"If the decision goes against the transfer, then we will have no hesitation in bringing him back and playing him. There is no problem with that."

The Rangers boss now has the added headache of the club losing an appeal over Jean-Claude Darcheville's three-match European ban.

With UEFA Cup ties against Panathinaikos looming this month, Cousin would be the natural replacement for the striker - if his move to Fulham falls through.

But Smith insisted: "We wouldn't have agreed to the transfer if we didn't feel we could cover for injury or suspension.

"That's a basic thing. We would rather have Jean-Claude playing for us but we take the chance every week of picking up injury or suspension."

On UEFA's decision to reject the appeal, Smith added: "I felt that three games was a bit much for the offence.

"When we looked at it, I thought it really only merited a one-match ban. But he's got the three matches and we have to put with up with that.

"We are in a situation where, if we lose a player to suspension in any of the tournaments, we do so in the knowledge that we are covered for a player going out.

"We've got a big enough squad and we should be able to handle that."

The UEFA Cup campaign begins in earnest when Panathinaikos visit Ibrox on Wednesday night but, with a four-point advantage over Celtic in the title race, the Clydesdale Bank Premier League takes priority.

Rangers are at home to Falkirk tomorrow and Smith insisted: "It's an important game for us. Falkirk are a good team, despite the fact we won 7-2 in the previous game at Ibrox.

"Anyone who was at that game would say the result was hardly justified because Falkirk played as well, if not better, than we did that day. We managed to get a number of goals at the end of the match and the scoreline flattered us in many ways. We know we have to play better than we did in that game."

More Football News from TEAMtalk