Lawrence Shankland hopes for January Rangers return after hamstring surgery

Rangers captain Lawrence Shankland hopes to return in January after hamstring surgery, but says his recovery cannot yet be given a firm deadline. BBC Scotland reported on October 7 that the striker expects to play again before the season's closing stages, with progress assessed as his rehabilitation continues.

Watch the highlights:

The 31-year-old has received encouraging feedback from a specialist and says the hamstring is healing well. According to BBC Scotland, he has missed Rangers' past three matches. Shankland said the three-to-four-month stage would help establish how the injury was responding, rather than committing himself to a particular game or comeback date.

PA Media, in a report published by STV News, said Shankland had stopped using crutches that week, four weeks after the operation. He explained that his surgeon had identified the need for surgery and that a subsequent scan supported that assessment. He had experienced a similar injury previously, but described this one as worse.

The injury forced him off during Rangers' 1-0 home victory over Motherwell on September 5. PA reported that manager Derek McInnes had estimated an absence of up to four months. McInnes said surgery on the grade 2c tear would lengthen the recovery process but lessen the risk of the problem returning.

PA also reported that Shankland had scored four times in ten Rangers appearances since arriving from Hearts during the summer. He said his rehabilitation would remain supervised by the physiotherapy staff, and that feeling ready to play would be part of the decision on when he could return to the pitch.

Rangers appointed Shankland captain ahead of the 2026/27 season, the club's own announcement confirmed. He succeeded James Tavernier, who had left after eight years as captain. A Rangers supporter from childhood, Shankland had previously led Hearts and represented Scotland at the World Cup in North America before taking on the Ibrox role.

For now, Rangers' results have offered some consolation. BBC Scotland reported that their winning sequence had reached six matches across all competitions. Shankland said watching from the sidelines remained difficult, particularly while his team-mates trained outside and he worked in the gym, but their victories had made his absence easier to bear.