Rangers manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland about the virus that has swept through his squad this week: "It wasn't anything we felt was going to affect today, it's just affected a few boys training this week. Glad everybody has made it and are fit and available.

"We would rather be in Europe, but is there an advantage to us only focusing on one game a week? Of course, but it doesn't give you any guarantees. We've just got to concentrate on league business.

"Disappointing last week because a mistake cost us two points. The players are desperate to make amends.

"[Djeidi Gassama] has played most of the minutes this season. I was really pleased with [Badredine] Bouanani's performance [against Dundee] and he's the type of guy that can unlock a defence. We've gone back to a front two for this game and hopefully that pays dividends.

"It's a miserable day out there. Conditions can't always be perfect."

Aberdeen head coach Stephen Robinson tells BBC Scotland: "The pitch looks OK, but it's the same for both teams. You have to cope with it.

"Some enforced changes, we haven't had to seek our problems with illness and injury.

"Lewis Mayo will be out for two months with a stress fracture of his foot. Mats Knoester pulled up in the last kick of training yesterday.

"Dan Happe has a virus, Finlay Marshall and Tony Yogane as well. There are another five or six of them who've had it or are coming back. It's the time of year, isn't it?"

Image source, SNS

St Mirren manager Craig McLeish tells BBC Scotland: “We can’t really control [the conditions], we just have to adapt to them as best we can and stick to our gameplan. They’ll play a part for both teams.

“We need to stick together through this difficult period and believe in what we are doing, even the Aberdeen game, there were positives in it. I know how this works though, we have to turn it around. We’ve got three games in the next week and we have to have positive results in there.

“We didn’t get too high on our good run at the start of the season, so now we’re on a difficult run, it’s about not getting too low either.

“I rate [Dundee] very highly, they are really well coached, really well organised. I know Steven [Pressley] really well having played with him and worked under him as well. You can see that in their performances, against Rangers they were excellent.

“The only [change] is Paul Nsio, he had a bit of a virus this week. He came back and trained yesterday, but he is still getting over it, and with the game on Wednesday and next Saturday, he’ll miss out today and hopefully be back around next week.”

A Saturday night sojourn to Dens Park ended in disappointment for Rangers last weekend, with their 2-1 lead short-lived.

The 2-2 draw maintained an unbeaten run for Derek McInnes' side but brought an end to a sequence of seven straight wins.

The real cost, though, was ground lost on Celtic, who opened up a four-point lead at the top by trouncing Hearts 7-1 on Sunday.

A long seven days later, Rangers are back at home to face promoted St Johnstone for the first time in 21 months.

The last time the Perth side visited, they were three down by the break and got one back in the second period, continuing a run of Ibrox losses to seven in a row.

However, like Dundee, Saints have started the season well, sitting fifth.

Simo Valakari has managed three times against Rangers as St Johnstone boss and is still looking for his first point.

Achieving such a feat on Saturday would not only bolster that positive start to the season, it would like cause further ripples in the still very early Scottish Premiership title race.

Read more: Premiership preview - form strikers in focus and will Rangers respond?

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn tells BBC Scotland: "Ben Krauhaus has missed out with a little hamstring issue. There's no strain or tear or anything like that. It's just a little bit severe enough that he has to miss this game. I'm sure he'll be available for Aberdeen [on Wednesday].

"Deniss Melniks comes in. Not the same type of player but hopefully we can get enough to win the game, which is not going to be easy. Kilmarnock got a great result last week.

"We're sitting in similar situations, positions and they'll come here with a bit of confidence, but also we're confident after a good win at Easter Road.

"I think tomorrow's going to be the worst of [the weather], so hopefully we can get over today without too much wind."

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Dundee head coach Steven Pressley tells BBC Scotland: "We’ve talked a lot about the basics, and when you look at the conditions, they are far from ideal, so both teams will have to do the basics particularly well - that’s a really important factor.

"I also have to stress that this is a really good St Mirren team. They started the season in fine form and they were excellent at Pittodrie last weekend.

"They are growing and building all the time, and if we don’t turn up and play to our absolute maximum, then we’ll be on the end of a disappointing result. It’s a big game, and it’s one we are looking forward to.

"[Craig McLeish] is in the midst of building, I know how football is these days and we’re judged week-to-week, day-to-day - it is the nature of the industry. Managers like him need time. Time to grow, time to mature and time for their teams to also do that. There are a lot of good things happening at this football club.

"I keep reminding everybody, we have no targets at our club. Our real guiding principle is to be better every day. We work very hard, we concentrate on the next game and nothing more than that.

"I don’t want any expectations on this group at present. When you get positive results those things grow. I think the big thing for us is continue to do what we’re doing."

Image source, SNS

It looks like all of Saturday's second-round ties have survived the weather.

Sadly, our TV pick last night - Penicuik Athletic v Clyde - didn't.

That match has been rearranged for Tuesday, 27 October (19:30 GMT).

There's a biggie in the Championship this afternoon. The top two, separated by just a point, go at it as leaders Stenhousemuir head to Partick Thistle.

A draw there and Raith Rovers, who welcome fourth-placed Inverness, will surge to the summit with a victory.

Ayr's trip to Morton has been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

In the third tier, free-scoring Ross County face Airdrieonians in Dingwall, while Hamilton, who are level on points with the leaders, host East Fife.

Scottish Championship

• Greenock Morton P-P Ayr Utd
• Livingston v Arbroath
• Partick Thistle v Stenhousemuir
• Queen's Park v Dunfermline Athletic
• Raith Rovers v Inverness CT

Scottish League 1

• Alloa Athletic v Queen of the South
• Cove Rangers v East Kilbride
• Hamilton Academical v East Fife
• Montrose v Peterhead
• Ross County v Airdrieonians

Rangers have a bigger gap to bridge after their draw at Dundee last Saturday night was followed by Celtic walloping Hearts.

If they can defeat thriving St Johnstone, the leaders' advantage will narrow to one point before they face bottom-of-the-table Hibs tomorrow (12:00 GMT).

Elsewhere, Aberdeen can jump into the top half by winning at Dundee United. That won't be easy against a United side benefitting from a shift in style.

St Mirren are desperate for a victory amid a five-game losing run and welcome Dundee, who continue to impress under Steven Pressley.

Meanwhile, there's intrigue in Falkirk as the Bairns host a Kilmarnock team hoping to lift themselves out of the relegation play-off spot.

Craig McLeish makes one switch for St Mirren following their defeat at Aberdeen.

Defender Henry Fieldson returns to the line-up, replacing Rangers loanee Paul Nsio, who drops out of the matchday squad.

Defender Jayden Richardson returns to the squad for the first time in three matches and is on the bench.

Dundee head coach Steven Pressley names an unchanged side, sticking with the XI that impressed in their 2-2 draw with Rangers at Dens Park last weekend.

It's also the same substitutes selection for the Dark Blues.

Image source, SNS

Rangers make one change to the side that started the draw at Dundee last time out.

Kevin Kelsy comes in for Djeidi Gassama, who drops to the bench.

For St Johnstone, Josh Campbell replaces Jason Holt in midfield and Jamie Gullan is preferred to Sam Stanton out wide.

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

Just the one change for Dundee United, as Zac Sapsford replaces Idjessi Metsoko as the starting striker. It's the Aussie's first start since early September.

Apart from that, the outfield is the same with Dylan Tait continuing to captain from midfield.

Aberdeen were struck down by a sickness bug through the week and they've made four changes to the side that started the 3-1 win over St Mirren 3-1 last week.

Both centre-halves are swapped, with Jack Milne and Gavin Molloy starting. Stuart Armstrong and Ayoub Mouloua also start.

Mats Knoester and Lewis Mayo both drop out of the squad, while Lewis Smith and Toyosi Olusanya are on the bench.

Nicky Devlin makes a rare appearance on the bench, as does 15-year-old Andrew Fasanya, who became the league's youngest player in the Premiership era earlier this season.

For Falkirk, Scott McCann replaces Scott Tanser at left-back and Deniss Melniks also comes in as Ben Krauhaus drops out. Tanser makes the bench.

Kilmarnock also make two changes with Jamie Brandon replacing the benched MJ Kamson-Kamara at right-back and Aaron Tshibola coming into midfield in place of Bailey Rice, who is not in the squad.

Image source, SNS

BBC Sounds

As usual, Saturday Sportsound is on the go as the team provide build-up to the action.

You'll have a choice of listening at 15:00 GMT, with Open All Mics on BBC Radio Scotland and live commentary from Ibrox on BBC Radio Scotland Extra.

You can listen in on this very page. If not, open up BBC Sounds or boot up your wireless.

Falkirk: Bain, Strain, Neilson, Henderson, McCann, Ross, Spencer, Melniks, Barbrook, Eames, Murrell.

Substitutes: Hogarth, McMillan, Parkinson, MacIver, Sibbald, Yeats, Tanser, McLeod, Fodrey.

Kilmarnock: Ferrie, Brandon, Stanger, McCarthy, Schjonning-Larsen, Lowery, Tshibola, Ring, Kiltie, John-Jules, Hugill.

Substitutes: Mantl, Kamson-Kamara, O'Hara, Deas, McKenzie, Meier, Clescenco, Owen, Daniels.

Dundee Utd: Walton, Rawlins, Esselink, Forbes, Ciubotaru, Tait, Cameron, Iqbal, Randall, Sapsford, Bennie.

Substitutes: Amissah, Iovu, Graham, Camara, Rose, Farrugia, Naamo, Yoro, Metsoko.

Aberdeen: Muller, Cadden, Milne, Molloy, Guinness-Walker, Aremu, Lyons, Ronan, Armstrong, Mouloua, Nisbet.

Substitutes: Klein, Devlin, Briedl, Smith, Mahou, Olusanya, Ntelo, Fasanya, Gyamfi.

St Mirren: Chapman, John, Carr, Sule, Gogic, Thomas, Kabia, Fraser, Ramsay, Fieldson, Phillips.

Substitutes: Tamosevicius, Richardson, Jackson, Donnelly, McEvoy, Taylor, Ramos, Mochrie, Young.

Dundee: Goodman, Astley, O Bevan, D Wright, Hay, Samuels, Forrest, Fink, J Bevan, Jones, Hamilton.

Substitutes: O’Hara, Halliday, Odutayo, Akinmboni, Finnigan, Besir, Reilly, J. Wright, Harrison.

Rangers: Pandur, Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice, Neil, Raskin, Bouanani, Kim, Kelsy, Naderi.

Substitutes: Kelly, Nedelkovic, Godfrey, Rommens, Dragojevic, Chukwuani, Curtis, Gassama, Miovski.

St Johnstone: Steward, Smith, Finlayson, Diabate, Alic, McAlear, Campbell, Gullan, Cotterill, Steven, Fowler.

Substitutes: Sinclair, Mikulic, Holt, Foulds, Fotheringham, Schmidt, Chalmers, Todd, Paton.

There's weather out there - lots of it - so unless you're heading out to a game this afternoon, put the pumpkin picking on hold and join us for a day of Scottish football action.

Most of Saturday's fixtures have survived, with four matches across the top flight, a bucket load of Scottish Cup second-round ties, and a drama-packed day in the lower leagues to come.

More on all of that shortly - but first, team news.