Rangers’ Captain Lawrence Shankland Faces Up to Four-Month Hamstring Lay-Off

Lawrence Shankland, Rangers’ 31-year-old striker and club captain, was forced off after eight minutes of the 1-0 home win over Motherwell when a recurrence of a hamstring tear was confirmed by scans. The injury is a 2 cm tear, similar to the one he suffered at Hearts in January 2023. Manager Derek McInnes said the specialist’s assessment, expected within 48 hours, will decide if surgery is required. He projected a “best-case” three-month and a “worst-case” four-month lay-off.

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The setback follows the season-ending ACL injury to forward Youssef Chermiti, which prompted the £9 million signing of Venezuelan international Kevin Kelsy from the Portland Timbers. Before his injury, Shankland had scored four goals in ten league appearances this season, including a double against Falkirk, giving him the highest goal-per-minute rate among the club’s forwards.

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• Kevin Kelsy – 13 goals in 46 games this term.

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• Ryan Naderi – Scored the winner against Motherwell; last season averaged a goal every 203 minutes.

Lawrence Shankland: Rangers captain expected to be out for three to four months with hamstring tear, confirms Derek McInnes

• Bojan Miovski – Former Girona striker; praised by the manager for a strong scoring ratio in Scotland.

Lawrence Shankland: Rangers captain expected to be out for three to four months with hamstring tear, confirms Derek McInnes

These options provide alternatives, though none match Shankland’s consistency.

Lawrence Shankland Injury: Rangers Star Faces 2026 Blow

McInnes confirmed the scan verified the hamstring tear and that Shankland is undergoing an ultrasound in London to decide on surgery. He stressed the club’s duty to support injured players and called the loss of Shankland and Chermiti a “blow” to the team’s fire-power, while noting the chance for other squad members to step up.

Rangers suffer huge hammer blow as skipper Lawrence Shankland is set to be sidelined for FOUR months with hamstring injury that may require surgery

• “He's had his scan with confirmation that he's had a tear.” — Derek McInnes, Rangers manager

Lawrence Shankland: Rangers captain expected to be out for three to four months with hamstring tear, confirms Derek McInnes

• “We just need to support him as we do with all our injured players, but having him and Youssef out, guys who guarantee you goals at Premiership level, there's no doubt it's a blow for us.” — Derek McInnes

Lawrence Shankland: Rangers captain expected to be out for three to four months with hamstring tear, confirms Derek McInnes

Rangers will host Celtic in the League Cup quarter-final on the Sunday preceding their first Premiership clash of the season, slated for 20 September. Both matches will test squad depth while Shankland rehabilitates.

Rangers captain sidelined for up to four months

The short-term strategy hinges on the specialist’s timeline and the performance of Kelsy, Naderi and Miovski in the upcoming fixtures. Rangers must maintain goal output without their captain and without Chermiti for the rest of the season.

Lawrence Shankland: Rangers captain expected to be out for three to four months with hamstring tear, confirms Derek McInnes