Rangers star Shankland reveals reaction to former teammate’s actions amid injury heartbreak

Lawrence Shankland breaks silence with social media gesture after Rangers injury setback

Rangers captain Lawrence Shankland has offered a small sign of normality after suffering a major injury setback that is expected to keep him out for several months.

The Scotland international was forced off just minutes into Saturday’s 1-0 Premiership victory over Motherwell at Ibrox after suffering a hamstring problem. The injury has since been confirmed as a serious one, with reports suggesting Shankland could spend around 14 weeks on the sidelines.

The blow could hardly have come at a worse time for Derek McInnes. Shankland had been enjoying an excellent spell in front of goal, scoring twice against Falkirk before finding the net again in the victory over Aberdeen. His absence also leaves Rangers without Youssef Chermiti, who is already facing a lengthy spell out with a knee injury.

Shankland shows support for former Hearts teammate

Although Shankland has not yet publicly discussed his own injury, he was active on Instagram on Monday as he showed his support for former Hearts teammate Alexandros Kyziridis.

Kyziridis enjoyed an impressive outing for new club Corum FK in their 3-0 victory over Eyupspor, scoring an early opener before setting up Andrei Borza for another goal.

The Greek winger shared images from the performance on Instagram, with Shankland among those to react to the post. Former Rangers midfielder Mohamed Diomande also engaged with the post, adding a fire emoji for his current Corum teammate.

It was only a small social-media interaction, but it provided a glimpse that Shankland remains engaged despite the frustration of his latest injury.

Rangers facing major attacking challenge

The timing of Shankland’s injury is particularly frustrating given the momentum he had built since arriving at Ibrox.

He had scored in consecutive league victories over Aberdeen and Falkirk, finding the net three times across those matches. His two-goal display against Falkirk was especially important as Rangers secured a 2-1 victory.

Now McInnes must find a solution without his captain and leading striker for a significant period.

Kevin Kelsy is likely to come under increased pressure following his summer arrival, while Bojan Miovski could also receive an unexpected opportunity after appearing to be on his way out of Rangers during the transfer window.

With consecutive meetings against Celtic approaching later this month, Rangers will desperately hope their remaining attacking options can step up while Shankland works his way back to fitness.