Derek McInnes has revealed that Rangers will welcome Lawrence Shankland back into contention in December, giving the manager four strikers to work with ahead of the busy festive period.
The Scotland international wasn’t expected to be a long-term absentee, but now a prospective date has been provided for when he will be back in the squad.
Shankland hasn’t played since the victory over Motherwell in September, when he was forced off the pitch in the opening minutes of the game.
That hamstring complaint has left the club captain kicking his heels on the sidelines, but now a return is on the horizon.
McInnes details Shankland return plan
Lawrence Shankland won’t be on the pitch in the Hearts vs Rangers clash on Wednesday night, but the Gers boss said he would be on hand for his teammates for information ahead of the crucial game.
The manager and the coaching staff will do the rest, was the message.
The next few weeks will be crucial for Shankland to finalise his recovery before getting back out on the grass, particularly after the November international break.
He won’t be rushed, but McInnes will welcome the player’s return, adding to his attacking options, in addition to Kevin Kelsy, Ryan Naderi, and Bojan Miovski.
When asked if Shankland’s presence will be important, McInnes responded:
“No, I think his role will be absolutely zero, to be honest.
“He will probably tell the lads who haven’t been to Tynecastle exactly what to expect, but that’s my job and the staff’s job as well to make everybody ready.”
“The manager added, “Unfortunately for Lawrence and us, his influence isn’t going to be what we want it to be for this one, but his influence will still be there.
“He’ll be back in the first, second week of December. There is still the main part of the business end of the season for Lawrence to have a big influence.
“If he’s sitting at lunch or in the dressing room, he and Cammy will both try to pass on that information, but there will probably be enough players in the team who have already played there.”
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