Lawrence Shankland targets January return after hamstring surgery

Rangers captain Lawrence Shankland hopes to return to action around January as he recovers from surgery on a torn hamstring, BBC Scotland reported. The 31-year-old striker has missed the club's past three games and is projected to resume playing early in 2027, although he stressed that his recovery does not yet have a fixed timetable.

Watch the highlights:

Shankland said a recent visit to his specialist had brought encouraging feedback and that the hamstring was healing well after the operation. He described his progress as gradual, with the next assessment of how he feels around the three-to-four-month stage important to establishing when he can play again. His hope is to return as quickly as the recovery allows.

The forward expects to be available before the closing stages of the season and believes there will still be plenty of matches left when he returns. January is his target rather than a confirmed comeback date. In discussing that ambition, he also allowed for the possibility that his actual return could fall at another time, depending on how the rehabilitation develops.

Shankland said he had been comfortable choosing surgery when the option was put to him because it was the best course of action. It was his first operation as a professional player. At 31, he considers himself fortunate to have avoided surgery until now and described this absence as a setback he expects to work through, rather than something unique to his career.

The daily separation from the squad's on-field work has nevertheless been difficult. Shankland described training in the gym while watching his team-mates head outside and said it was hard to watch matches when he wanted to take part. His comments reflected the frustration of rehabilitation even as the medical feedback has been positive.

Rangers' results have made that period easier to bear. The team have extended their winning sequence to six matches across all competitions, according to BBC Scotland, and Shankland said watching victories was much easier than watching defeats. He described the squad as being in a good position and said he wanted that form to continue while he works towards a return.