Rangers winger Yokota suffers 'significant' groin injury

Japanese winger Daisuke Yokota is set to undergo groin surgery and faces up to three months out, Rangers manager Derek McInnes has confirmed.

The 26-year-old was a second-half substitute in Saturday's win over Motherwell and has played nine times since signing from Hannover earlier this summer.

Yokota's absence adds McInnes' injury troubles in forward areas following injuries to Lawrence Shankland and Youssef Chermiti.

Captain Shankland is with Yokota in London and will also have surgery on Thursday after suffering a hamstring tear that could keep the striker out for four months.

McInnes says the decision to operate on the Scotland forward minimises the risk of a recurrence but his recovery could take an extra three or four weeks.

"Unfortunately [Shankland's] not alone in London," the Rangers boss said after the late victory over St Mirren.

"Daisuke Yokota is getting a groin operation as well, which has been quite unusual in the sense that once we got him scanned on Monday it showed he had torn the muscle off the tendon in his groin.

"He'll be out a significant time as well, probably in the region of two to three months."