NafisaRangers captain Lawrence Shankland’s encouraging start to the season has been dealt a major blow, with the striker now facing a spell on the sidelines after suffering a significant hamstring injury against Motherwell.
The 31-year-old had been beginning to look like the player Rangers supporters had hoped to see when he arrived at Ibrox, finding the net three times across his previous two matches and offering a growing threat in Derek McInnes’ attack.
His latest outing, however, lasted barely six minutes.
Shankland pulled up early in Rangers’ 1-0 victory over Motherwell at Ibrox and immediately appeared to be in discomfort, clutching the back of his leg before being replaced by Ryan Naderi.
The timing could hardly be worse for Rangers, with a huge period of the season approaching and the club facing two meetings with Celtic later this month.
McInnes has now admitted the injury looks “quite significant”, with the Rangers captain set to undergo further assessment before the full extent of the problem becomes clear.
The early signs are certainly concerning.
Shankland had already missed more than two months last season while at Hearts because of a hamstring problem, making the latest setback particularly frustrating for both the player and Rangers.
McInnes revealed that Shankland described the sensation as similar to the injury he suffered at Tynecastle last year.
“It looks quite significant, to be honest,” said McInnes. “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 scan will determine precisely how long Shankland is expected to be unavailable, but Rangers are already bracing themselves for a significant absence.
The biggest concern is the upcoming Old Firm double-header.
Rangers are due to face Celtic at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup next Sunday before travelling to Parkhead seven days later for their Scottish Premiership meeting.
Given the nature of the injury and Shankland’s previous history, it would be a major surprise if he were available for either fixture.
The striker could also miss Scotland’s upcoming Nations League fixtures, with the national side scheduled to face Slovenia twice, Switzerland and North Macedonia.
That would represent another frustrating setback for Shankland, particularly with the first matches under new Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli approaching.
For Rangers, meanwhile, the injury leaves McInnes having to reassess his options at the worst possible moment.
Shankland’s recent form had been one of the brighter attacking developments of the opening weeks of the campaign, and his goals against Falkirk had helped Rangers secure another important league victory.
His absence means the responsibility will now fall on the other forwards to fill the void.
Fortunately for McInnes, Rangers have already made provisions for competition in the striker department.
Youssef Chermiti is currently facing a long-term absence after suffering an ACL injury, removing one option from the manager’s plans.
But Kevin Kelsy made his Rangers debut against Motherwell, while Naderi stepped in for Shankland and ultimately proved decisive by scoring the only goal of the match.
Kim Minsu and Bojan Miovski also provide further attacking alternatives, giving McInnes a number of ways to manage the situation.
Naderi’s goal was particularly timely.
The youngster had only been introduced because of Shankland’s early departure, yet he went on to provide the moment that secured all three points for Rangers.
Now, with the captain potentially facing weeks or even months away from action, Naderi and the rest of Rangers’ attacking options could be asked to take on considerably greater responsibility.
The immediate priority, however, is establishing exactly how serious Shankland’s latest hamstring problem is.
Until the scan is completed, Rangers will have to wait for a definitive timeline.
But with two Old Firm meetings looming and Scotland’s international commitments also approaching, there is already a growing sense that Rangers could be without their captain for one of the most important stretches of their season.
Nafisa
