Rangers Captain Lawrence Shankland Out Up to Four Months With Hamstring Tear

Rangers captain Lawrence Shankland is expected to miss up to four months after suffering a hamstring tear, leaving the Scottish Premiership club without one of its principal scorers during a busy run of domestic fixtures. BBC Sport reported that manager Derek McInnes confirmed the injury before Rangers' home match against St Mirren on Wednesday.

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McInnes said the 31-year-old has a 2cm tear similar to the hamstring problem he sustained while playing for Hearts in January. Shankland was in London for an ultrasound and follow-up examination, with a specialist due to determine whether he should undergo surgery or allow the injury to heal naturally. That decision was expected within 48 hours of McInnes' update.

The manager explained that surgery could add another three or four weeks to Shankland's recovery but may reduce the risk of another recurrence. Rangers have therefore not yet confirmed the precise treatment plan, although McInnes described the absence as significant and said the club would support its captain through his rehabilitation.

Shankland left the field early in Rangers' 1-0 home league victory over Motherwell on Saturday. His replacement, Ryan Naderi, scored the only goal. The Scotland international has four goals in 10 appearances for Rangers this season and had scored three times across the previous two matches, against Aberdeen and Falkirk, before being injured.

The setback compounds Rangers' problems at centre-forward. BBC Sport reported that Youssef Chermiti is already expected to be sidelined for a lengthy period after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage against Hibernian last month. Naderi, Bojan Miovski and recent signing Kevin Kelsy are among the remaining attacking options available to McInnes.

Shankland is also set to miss Scotland's Nations League programme from late September through mid-November. Scotland, now coached by Sebastien Pocognoli, are scheduled to face North Macedonia, Slovenia and Switzerland home and away during the autumn. Shankland has scored seven goals in 22 international appearances, including three in 2026. Rangers, meanwhile, face Celtic in the League Cup and then in the league after the St Mirren fixture, with a further 14 club matches scheduled from October through December.