NafisaRangers have been handed a potentially major injury blow at the worst possible time, with Lawrence Shankland facing a spell on the sidelines after limping out of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Motherwell.
The Rangers captain had only just begun to rediscover his best form, finding the net three times across his previous two appearances and becoming increasingly influential in Derek McInnes’ attacking plans.
That momentum was brought to an abrupt halt at Ibrox, however, when Shankland pulled up with a hamstring problem only minutes into the match and was forced to leave the field.
Rangers eventually secured all three points thanks to Ryan Naderi’s goal, but attention quickly turned towards the condition of their captain.
And McInnes’ assessment has now given supporters plenty of reason to worry, particularly because Shankland believes the problem feels remarkably similar to a previous hamstring injury which kept him out for around three months.
He said: (The Scotsman), “It looks quite significant, to be honest. He got a similar feeling to the hamstring injury he had at Hearts last January when he was out for three months, so obviously we don’t want to speculate too much. But he says it feels similar to in the same area, so we’ll get him scanned on Monday.
“You know, his output was really high on Wednesday at Falkirk on the 4G. Sometimes going that from pitch to pitch can maybe make you a wee bit more vulnerable. But he says he felt fine going into the game, so, and there was nothing really that he did in the game that he was aware of, he just felt it pull up. So he says it feels similar to then, so we’ll see how the scan shows on Monday.
“It’s a shame for the boy because he was obviously just in good form, getting himself moving and getting himself enjoying some of that attacking threat we’ve had over the last few games, and we’ve waited long and hard for that. So just a pity for Lawrence that it looks as if he’s the next period is he’s going to be sitting on the sidelines.”
The key concern for Rangers is therefore the potential length of Shankland’s absence.
The striker’s previous hamstring setback at Hearts kept him out for roughly three months, but Rangers will not know whether they are facing a similar layoff until the scan is completed.
If the latest injury does prove to be comparable, Shankland could miss a significant number of Rangers fixtures at a crucial stage of the campaign.
McInnes was also asked about the fact Rangers had played Falkirk on a 4G surface only days before the Motherwell match, with the manager acknowledging that moving between different pitches can potentially make a player more vulnerable.
“You know, his output was really high on Wednesday at Falkirk on the 4G. Sometimes going that from pitch to pitch can maybe make you a wee bit more vulnerable.
“But he says he felt fine going into the game, so, and there was nothing really that he did in the game that he was aware of, he just felt it pull up.”
Importantly, McInnes did not claim the Falkirk surface was responsible for Shankland’s injury. The Rangers boss simply pointed towards the quick change between surfaces as something that can potentially increase vulnerability.
The timing could hardly be worse for Rangers.
Celtic are due to visit Ibrox next Sunday for the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final, before the two Glasgow giants meet again at Celtic Park in the Premiership a week later.
That means Rangers could potentially be preparing for two huge Old Firm meetings in the space of seven days without their captain and main striker.
Shankland’s recent form makes the situation even more frustrating.
After taking time to settle following his move to Rangers, the striker had begun to find his rhythm at exactly the point McInnes needed him most. His goals in the previous two matches had offered Rangers an important attacking boost, while his involvement in the side had been growing.
McInnes made no secret of his disappointment at seeing that progress interrupted.
“It’s a shame for the boy because he was obviously just in good form, getting himself moving and getting himself enjoying some of that attacking threat we’ve had over the last few games.”
Rangers will now have to wait for the scan before putting a definitive timeframe on the injury.
For supporters, though, the three-month absence suffered at Hearts provides an obvious reason for concern.
A similar recovery period would mean Shankland missing far more than simply the next match. It could rule him out for a substantial portion of the upcoming fixture schedule and leave McInnes needing to find alternative solutions in attack.
The immediate focus will therefore be on Monday’s scan.
Until the results are known, Rangers cannot say with certainty how many games their captain will miss. But with two Old Firm clashes looming and Shankland himself describing the sensation as similar to an injury that previously kept him out for three months, the warning signs are undoubtedly concerning.
Nafisa
