NafisaRangers may have secured another precious Premiership victory at Ibrox, but the celebrations were tempered by a major concern surrounding their captain just days before the club’s biggest fixtures of the month.
Derek McInnes’ side edged past Motherwell 1-0 on Saturday afternoon to make it three consecutive league victories, continuing the impressive response after their disastrous European campaign.
But Rangers’ afternoon quickly took an unwanted turn when Lawrence Shankland was forced off just minutes after kick-off.
The Rangers captain had barely settled into the contest before pulling up and appearing to suffer a problem with his hamstring. After receiving treatment, it became increasingly clear that he would not be able to continue, with Ryan Naderi introduced in his place.
It was a frustrating development for Shankland, particularly given the striker’s recent return to form.
The summer signing had finally begun to find his rhythm in a Rangers shirt, scoring three goals across his previous two appearances, including a decisive brace against Falkirk in midweek.
Instead of building on that momentum, he was forced to watch the remainder of Saturday’s contest from the sidelines.
And the timing could hardly be worse for Rangers.
The Light Blues have a Premier Sports Cup meeting with Celtic at Ibrox on September 13, before facing their city rivals again in the Premiership shortly afterwards.
That makes Shankland’s injury status one of the biggest talking points to emerge from the victory over Motherwell.
At this stage, Rangers have not confirmed the severity of the problem, meaning it would be premature to put a definite timeframe on his recovery.
However, if the issue proves to be a significant hamstring injury, the striker could face a spell on the sidelines and potentially miss one or both of those crucial Old Firm encounters.
That would represent a sizeable blow to McInnes.
Shankland’s recent goals have provided Rangers with an important attacking lift after a difficult opening to his Ibrox career, while his status as captain has also made him an important figure within a squad that has undergone significant change during the summer.
The timing of his injury therefore leaves Rangers with an obvious question to answer up front.
Fortunately for McInnes, Naderi immediately provided the kind of response every manager wants from a substitute.
The German striker had only just entered the pitch when he punished a huge mistake from Motherwell goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, robbing the goalkeeper before calmly finishing to put Rangers ahead.
It was a dream introduction for Naderi and ultimately proved decisive.
Motherwell had arrived at Ibrox unbeaten in the Premiership and had won 3-0 against Dundee United in midweek, but Rangers managed to hold on for another narrow victory.
The result means McInnes’ team have now won three league matches in succession, following victories over Aberdeen and Falkirk.
There were opportunities to make the afternoon considerably more comfortable.
Rangers were awarded a penalty after Djeidi Gassama went down following contact with Motherwell’s Tom Sparrow, with referee Duncan Nicolson’s decision subsequently upheld following a VAR review.
Minsu Kim was handed the opportunity to double Rangers’ advantage but fired his penalty wide.
Motherwell’s official social media account later described the spot-kick as a “soft” penalty and added “justice done” after Kim failed to convert.
Despite the missed chances and late pressure, Rangers held on to secure another clean sheet and another three points.
The bigger concern, however, will remain Shankland.
Rangers can take confidence from their recent run of league victories, but losing their captain just as he appeared to be finding his best form could quickly overshadow the positive momentum.
The club’s next fixture is against St Mirren on September 9 before the first of the two looming meetings with Celtic.
Until Rangers establish exactly how serious Shankland’s hamstring problem is, McInnes and supporters will be left waiting anxiously.
For a Rangers side that has finally started to build momentum in the league, the possibility of entering the biggest games of the month without their in-form captain is a worrying one.
Nafisa
