Lawrence Shankland is still having Rangers impact as injury timeline revealed
Few captains have made such a loud entrance and then been forced into such a quiet exit. Lawrence Shankland had scored Rangers’ previous three goals to secure their first two league wins of the season before pulling up early against Motherwell at Ibrox. The timeline for his return has now been revealed, and it is a heavy one for Derek McInnes to absorb. [stv](https://news.stv.tv/sport/lawrence-shankland-suffers-similar-hamstring-injury-that-kept-him-out-for-three-months) [stv](https://news.stv.tv/sport/lawrence-shankland-suffers-similar-hamstring-injury-that-kept-him-out-for-three-months)
After a scan, McInnes confirmed the worst. The striker has a hamstring tear, and the manager expects him to be out for three to four months, depending on treatment. McInnes put the best case at three months and the worst at roughly four. There is also a decision still to be made on surgery, which McInnes said would lessen the risk of the problem happening again. It is a sobering update for a player who had only just started to hit his stride in light blue. [Derek McInnes expects Rangers skipper Lawrence Shankland to be out for three to four months +2](https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/football/derek-mcinnes-expects-rangers-skipper-lawrence-shankland-to-be-out-for-three-to-four-months-8991114)
The setback has a familiar feel. McInnes said the injury is similar to the one that kept Shankland out for three months at Hearts, and the captain himself reportedly recognised the sensation straight away. The manager also noted that Shankland’s physical output was very high in the midweek game at Falkirk on a 4G surface, and that moving between different pitches can leave a player more vulnerable. It is a reminder of how thin the margin can be for a striker who relies on sharpness and movement. [stv](https://news.stv.tv/sport/lawrence-shankland-suffers-similar-hamstring-injury-that-kept-him-out-for-three-months) [irishnews](https://www.irishnews.com/sport/soccer/lawrence-shankland-facing-lengthy-spell-out-after-suffering-hamstring-injury-67JKNS7EXVMSBPIZNZ3MQ3ZYAQ/)
Yet the title of this piece is no exaggeration, because Shankland is still shaping Rangers even from the treatment room. His absence has forced the squad to adapt immediately. Ryan Naderi replaced him and scored the only goal of the game within four minutes of coming on, which suggests the depth might be more capable than many feared. Naderi, new signing Kevin Kelsy and fringe forward Bojan Miovski are now the three strikers left standing. [stv](https://news.stv.tv/sport/lawrence-shankland-suffers-similar-hamstring-injury-that-kept-him-out-for-three-months) [newsletter](https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/football/derek-mcinnes-expects-rangers-skipper-lawrence-shankland-to-be-out-for-three-to-four-months-8991114)
That is a thin group, and the situation is made harder by the fact that Youssef Chermiti is already out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. That earlier blow prompted Rangers to spend £9 million on Kelsy, so the club has now lost two of its main forwards in quick succession. As McInnes put it, nobody walking in the door would have expected to feel that kind of weight so soon. [flashscore](https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-premiership-lawrence-shankland-to-be-out-for-up-to-four-months-after-rangers-captain-picks-up-injury/r9kIEgo1/) [flashscore](https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-premiership-lawrence-shankland-to-be-out-for-up-to-four-months-after-rangers-captain-picks-up-injury/r9kIEgo1/)
The timing is awkward too. Shankland was expected to miss the Old Firm double-header against Celtic, the cup tie at Ibrox and the league match at Parkhead. Those are the games where a captain’s presence and finishing matter most. He also misses out on the international stage, since the injury rules him out of Scotland’s Nations League matches and the chance to impress new boss Sebastien Pocognoli. [scotsman](https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers/latest-rangers-news/rangers-rocked-by-lawrence-shankland-blow-as-captain-set-to-miss-celtic-ties-after-suffering-hearts-injury-8962290) [flashscore](https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-premiership-lawrence-shankland-to-be-out-for-up-to-four-months-after-rangers-captain-picks-up-injury/r9kIEgo1/)
Still, Shankland’s influence goes beyond the goals. He has delivered when it counted, scoring four times in ten appearances, and he set the standard that others now have to meet. Naderi and Kelsy have a chance to turn a crisis into an opportunity, and a captain watching from the stands will be hoping they take it. [Sky Sports](https://skysports.com/football/news/12040/13583189/lawrence-shankland-rangers-captain-expected-to-be-out-for-three-to-four-months-with-hamstring-tear-confirms-derek-mcinnes)
For now, Rangers must manage without their talisman and trust the squad around him. If the recovery goes to plan, Shankland could return in the new year with fresh legs and a point to prove. Until then, his impact will be measured by how well his teammates fill the space he has left.
One note: the reports I found date from early September, so check for any fresh news on his surgery decision or recovery progress before you publish.
