Rangers

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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."

Rangers moved into second spot in the Scottish Premiership thanks to Bojan Miovski's stoppage-time winner against St Mirren at Ibrox.

There were some wild scenes of celebration at the final whistle, but what do the fans think?

Give us your thoughts.

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Manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland "I thought we got what we deserved" after Bojan Miovski's late winner against St Mirren at Ibrox.

"Granted, St Mirren had a 20-minute period in the second half when they were better than us - they played with a bit more belief and came after us and we were guilty of so many poor decisions," he told BBC Scotland.

"But I thought the performance for the first hour was really strong, particularly the first half, where we absolutely battered St Mirren.

"I was really pleased with the performance, but at 0-0, as an opposition manager, when you've been put through the ringer and you know you haven't been punished for it, it does give you power and belief that you can get something from it.

"But I think that the team that had the better chances and played the better football ultimately won the game.

"There are obviously loads we have to improve on, but we have to keep winning while we are looking for those. We were guilty of not passing forward and it can't always be about pretty patterns of play."

As for match-winner Miovski, McInnes said: "It is just typical of football that a few weeks ago Bojan would have seemed so far out of it.

"He's seen [Ryan] Naderi and [Youssef] Chermiti be big-money signings for the club and he knows, when you come to a club like Rangers, there's going to be competition.

"But, when you actually strip it back, his goals per minutes in the Premiership is up there with Lawrence Shankland.

"So I was delighted when I inherited someone like Bojan who knows his way about the Scottish Premiership and is a goalscorer and, played in the right manner and with the right partner, is capable of scoring goals."

As for what the win means for Rangers, McInnes added: "If you strip it back, six wins out of seven, four straight wins. We have not lost a goal apart from an own goal.

"There are areas we are improving, but have to keep improving if we are to achieve anything this season.

"Last-minute winners are great for players, coaches and fans. We'd rather not be in that position, but credit to the players for keeping going."

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Who will get the nod to lead the line for Rangers against St Mirren tonight in Lawrence Shankland's absence?

Will be it be Ryan Naderi? Kevin Kelsy? Or perhaps both?

Naderi replaced the injured Shankland on Saturday and scored the only goal against Motherwell, taking his tally to six in 19 Rangers appearances. The German is not without his doubters though.

Venezuela striker Kelsy, having arrived for a reported £9m fee on deadline day, made his debut as a second-half substitute and clattered an effort off the bar.

Pondering Rangers' strike options, former frontman Rory Loy told the BBC's Scottish football podcast: "I know Derek McInnes feels Naderi is probably better in a two, so he may not just be picking between one striker necessarily.

"I think Kelsy will probably get the nod. Naderi works hard, he's industrious and has got the odd goal through sheer workrate and harassing defenders. I think he lacks quality. I'm not sure he's got the quality he needed to be a Rangers player.

"If McInnes does go with one up tonight, I think it may be Kelsy."

Michael Grant, Scottish football correspondent for The Times, is of a similar mind.

"For a £9m transfer fee, Kelsy is not coming to sit on the bench. Whether he's fit enough to start straight away, we're not sure," said Grant.

"I would expect him to start tonight. I'm not especially convinced by Naderi. He's a willing enough player, but he's limited.

"He took his moment by scoring against Motherwell at the weekend. But McInnes has made it pretty clear that he's very gratified Rangers made the deal to get Kelsy in."

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

The news of Lawrence Shankland's prolonged absence is another bitter blow to Derek McInnes and Rangers.

It follows the injury to fellow striker Youssef Chermiti and supporters will be even more keen to see recent big-money signing Kevin Kelsy quickly step up to the plate.

Having said that, I wouldn't be too surprised if Ryan Naderi leads the line against St Mirren. He played well as Shankland's replacement on Saturday and also against the Buddies in the 5-1 League Cup win earlier in the season.

Rangers' overall performance against Motherwell was heralded as their best of the season so far and the scoreline should have been more emphatic.

If they can hit similar heights against St Mirren on Wednesday evening and add a more clinical edge - as they did in the cup game - they should be heading into Sunday's League Cup quarter-final meeting with Celtic in reasonable fettle.

It goes without saying that game is enormous for McInnes and Rangers. A victory would do so much psychological good for a team still looking to recover from a hugely disappointing start to the campaign.

On the flip side, defeat before the following weekend's league visit to Celtic Park would be massively damaging.

Before that huge double-header, Rangers must ensure they record a fourth consecutive league win by beating a St Mirren side that has impressed many this season, other than on their previous visit to Ibrox.

Fans will be hoping for a first sight of new loan signing Badredine Bouanani as well as continuing improvements from the likes of Dan Neil and Manny Fernandez, as Rangers try to leapfrog Saints and Hearts in the table and keep Celtic within view.

• Rangers boss Derek McInnes has never lost as a manager at home to St Mirren in the top flight, winning 10 and drawing seven of 17 such games across spells with St Johnstone, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Hearts.

• St Mirren have won three consecutive away games in the Scottish Premiership, the first time they have done so in the top flight since May 2007 (also three in a row).

• Rangers have won 25 of their past 28 home games against St Mirren in all competitions (D2 L1), including 16 of their latest 17 (L1 – 2-0 in February 2025).

• St Mirren have lost three successive meetings with Rangers in all competitions, including a 5-1 League Cup defeat this season, after having been unbeaten in four against the Ibrox side beforehand (W2 D2).

• Rangers have only lost one of their past 13 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (W9 D3), although that was their last at home, a 2-1 defeat to Hibernian in May.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dujon Sterling believes Rangers are in "a better place" after coming through a rocky start to the season to deliver three straight Premiership victories.

Wins away to Aberdeen and Falkirk and at home to Motherwell have steadied the ship after Rangers crashed out of Europe at the qualifying stage and began the league season with one point from two games.

"Obviously we all know Europe was disappointing at the start of the season," said defender Sterling.

"A lot of tough games, things weren't going our way or how we wanted it to. You're hurting but we're out of that now.

"There's that outside noise so you've got to stay together as a group. You've got to stick with it and just keep working hard every day. Now we're starting to see the results pick up and everyone's in a better place."

Following the departure of captain James Tavernier in the summer, Sterling is relishing a run in the team in his favoured right-back position.

"I've been playing right back since the start of the season, you can see that, obviously, you get a rhythm," he said.

"Your body just needs to play in that one position and that's where ideally I want to play since I've been here.

"Tav and me, we were thankful for the competition and then obviously doing my Achilles [which kept him out for seven months in 2025] meant I wasn't able to play twice a week. Whereas now I've basically played every game this season. I'm in a good place."

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Rangers striker Lawrence Shankland faces up to four months out with a hamstring tear. He joins Youssef Chermiti (knee) and Tuur Rommens (groin) on the sidelines.

Daisuke Yokota will have a scan on a groin problem and is expected to miss out, Kosta Nedeljkovic has a foot issue and will be assessed, while Badredine Bouanani could make his debut.

St Mirren midfielder Samuel Ramos is a doubt with a hamstring problem. Killian Phillips (shin), Liam Donnelly (abductor), Malik Dijksteel (hamstring), Keanu Baccus (Achilles) and Jonah Ayunga (knee) remain out.

We asked you how big a loss Lawrence Shankland will be after the Rangers striker was ruled out for three to four months with a hamstring injury.

Here are some of your comments:

Billy: Losing your main goal threat is a major blow. Yet again the team will have to adjust, with Kevin Kelsy new to the team. I think a difficult start just became even more so. I hope I'm wrong.

Stephen: It is a blow, as he was starting to bang the goals in for us. However, we have strikers that should get the goals for us, especially Bojan Miovski who knows what the Premiership is like having played for Aberdeen.

Peter: Don't overanalyse the loss of Shankland. He's not irreplaceable. Let's face it, he hasn't exactly broken any scoring records and is lazy off the ball. I'm sure we will have younger, more energetic players willing to make a name for themselves.

Jock: First Chermiti, then Shankland. Hope Kelsey will be the new hero or bring super Ally back?

Allan: It's time for the other strikers at Ibrox like Kelsy and Ryan Naderi to now step up and show what they're made of.

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Rangers would need to pay at least £15m to sign Bologna and Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson in January. (Football Insider), external

Former Rangers captain James Tavernier's £11,500-per-week wages at Maccabi Tel Aviv make him the highest paid player in Israeli football. (Scottish Sun), external

Read the rest of Wednesday's Scottish gossip.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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John Souttar may yet leave Rangers in the short term, even though the transfer window has closed in Scotland.

The Scotland defender, 29, is under contract until next summer.

"I think he still can [make a contribution]," said Rangers manager Derek McInnes.

"The likelihood is that John's been told his long-term future would be best elsewhere.

"He still has good opportunities. There's still an opportunity to move. There's a couple of windows, a few windows still open across Europe and there is a few things looking possible for John.

"I don't want to speculate how much that is, but I think there one or two things that he's quite keen on and one or two things that's maybe gaining a wee bit of traction."

Souttar joined Rangers in 2022 and has made 132 appearances, scoring four times. He has 366 club games overall and has represented Scotland 24 times, being part of the squad that went to this year's World Cup.

And McInnes added: "There's still that possibility for John to go and get regular football and peace of mind.

"That might be the best option for him, but if he doesn't move and there isn't anything materialises then of course we honour the contract and he comes back into things."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rangers manager Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media before his side's Premiership meeting with St Mirren at Ibrox on Wednesday (19:45 BST).

Here are the key lines from his media conference:

• Lawrence Shankland has suffered a hamstring tear and will be sidelined for a number of months. "I think the best-case scenario is three months, probably the worst-case scenario in terms of time would be about four months," McInnes says.

• "He's actually in London now, he's getting an ultrasound scan, a follow-up scan, which is just to determine whether, with the specialist, he has surgery or whether we just let that heal naturally as it did the last time," McInnes adds.

• The Rangers manager believes he has enough firepower to cover Shankland's absence: "As you've seen even from Saturday [a 1-0 win over Motherwell], Ryan [Naderi] getting his goal, Kevin [Kelsy] getting introduced, we've got Bojan Miovski who knows his way about the Scottish Premiership as well, so it's not all doom and gloom on that front, but it is disappointing news."

• McInnes says three successive victories against Aberdeen, Falkirk and Motherwell has boosted the confidence of the players, though has not entirely lifted the pressure on them. "I don't think that ever lifts until you've got a trophy in your hand," he admits. "But I do think there's been a good feel about the place. What we have had in recent weeks is just small steps, encouragement, confidence levels."

• John Souttar could leave the club in the near future despite the Scottish transfer window closing. The Scotland defender has "been told his long-term future would be best served elsewhere" and McInnes adds: "There's still an opportunity to move. There's a few windows still open across Europe and there is a few things looking possible for John."

• Tuur Rommens is back in light training and targeting a return against Celtic for the Premiership match on 20 September. Kosta Nedeljkovic is nursing a foot injury and Daisuke Yokota is a doubt to face St Mirren as he struggles with a groin injury.

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Lawrence Shankland has been ruled out for up to four months - so how big a loss will he be to Rangers?

The new skipper and striker's hamstring injury blow is particularly cruel as it comes just as he was hitting form following a slow start to his Ibrox career.

Shankland's first seven Rangers appearances brought just one goal - a penalty at home to Jagiellonia Bialystok - two wins, a European exit and a heap of criticism as the Scotland international and Derek McInnes' team struggled.

However, in the next two outings Shankland came to life, netting a penalty winner at Aberdeen then a match-winning double at Falkirk.

As he joins long-term strike casualty Youssef Chermiti on the sidelines following his early withdrawal in Saturday's win over Motherwell, Shankland tops the Rangers scoring charts with four goals across all competitions.

He also leads the way for the club in the Premiership with three, outperforming his xG (expected goals) of 2.48.

Shankland was a clear focal point of McInnes' team. His seven shots on target in the league is the highest in the Rangers squad, same for his 14 efforts from inside the box.

He ranks second - behind winger Djeidi Gassama - for total shots (15) and touches inside the opposition box (34), while he has the joint-most flick-ons (six) with Ryan Naderi and has won possession 10 times.

Rangers fans, how big a concern is Shankland's absence? Do you have adequate cover in Naderi and new arrival Kevin Kelsy? Share your views here.

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

Three wins, two clean sheets. The past week or so has been faultless results-wise for Derek McInnes.

However, the most intriguing aspect was how he wants this Rangers team to play. It is all about being compact and using the three behind the striker to hurt teams in transition.

We do not have the profile of midfielder to dominate the ball, but we have the wide players and attackers to hurt teams.

It's a shame for Lawrence Shankland to facing a spell out injured after beginning to find form with three goals in two games.

However, the additions of Badredine Bouanani and Kevin Kelsy on deadline day will help with our attacking options.

The transfer window overall was okay, but we can't be making bold statements on the back of three wins against teams Rangers should be beating. Having said that, it feels like a small step in the right direction.

Two home games this week provides the chance to keep momentum growing. Will midweek visitors St Mirren continue to play the way they did the last time they were at Ibrox? I hope so because it will make for a good game.

And Sunday's Old Firm derby takes on extra significance because it's the first of a double-header. Last season in this scenario we lost both. I think the goodwill McInnes is building will go south if he doesn't achieve two wins this week.

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Nick Walsh has been confirmed as the referee for the first Old Firm derby of the season on Sunday as Rangers and Celtic vie for a League Cup semi-final place.

Walsh will be assisted at Ibrox by Daniel McFarlane and Frank Connor, with Kevin Clancy the fourth official.

Andrew Dallas is on Video Assistant Referee duty, supported by Steven McLean.

Walsh took charge of two Old Firm derbies last season, with Celtic winning the League Cup semi-final 3-1 after extra time at Hampden in November - where Thelo Aasgaard was sent off in the first half - before a crucial 3-1 league win at Celtic Park in May.

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Former Rangers captain James Tavernier made a winning start to his Maccabi Tel Aviv career after being immediately pitched in for a debut on Monday night.

Tavernier, 34, signed for the Israeli club - managed by former Ibrox team-mate Kenny Miller - earlier in the day before starting in the 4-1 victory at Hapoel Beer Sheva.

That made it three league wins from three for the club Tavernier has moved to after 11 years with Rangers.

The right-back stressed the importance of playing in front of a big support and fighting for titles after completing his switch.

"It is a great honour to join a club with history and tradition like Maccabi Tel Aviv," Tavernier said.

"Coming to a new country and getting to know a different culture and environment is something I have always wanted to do during my career, so I am very excited.

"I have heard a lot about the club from Kenny Miller, about the ambitions, about the desire to win titles and of course about the Maccabi fans and the atmosphere they create.

"After playing for years at a big club, I know how important the support of the fans is and how much it can give a boost to the team.

"Maccabi is a club that wants to win, to fight for titles, and that is exactly what you want as a player."

Former Belgium player Philippe Albert questions why countryman Nicolas Raskin, 25, is still at Rangers. (Record - subscription required, external)

Frosinone president Maurizio Stirpe says he wanted to sell Celtic and Rangers target Fares Ghedjemis, 24, this summer but the club's American owners blocked a potential transfer for the Algeria winger. (Daily Record - subscription required, external)

Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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Former Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell says the club's big-money signing Kevin Kelsy must step up in Lawrence Shankland's absence.

Scotland striker Shankland went off in the early stages of Saturday's 1-0 win over Motherwell, with manager Derek McInnes later saying it appears to be a "significant" hamstring injury.

Shankland was replaced by Ryan Naderi, who scored Rangers' winner against the Steelmen, but Bell believes it will be Kelsy - signed from Portland Timbers on deadline day for a reported fee of £9m - who McInnes trusts to lead the line.

"You pay £9m for Kelsy, so you naturally think that he's going to be the one that's going to come in," Bell said, speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"It's not an ideal scenario for McInnes and Rangers. They would have wanted to allow a little bit of time for Kelsy to find his feet in Scottish football and at Rangers. He's not going to get that now.

"Shankland's two goals against Falkirk were excellent and he had just started to find his rhythm. His injury offered the opportunity for Naderi to come on and he grabbed that goal on Saturday.

"But you'd think Kelsy is going to be the one that will have to step up to the plate and score important goals because you can't rely on Shankland for now."