Lawrence Shankland contract examined amid new Rangers injury nightmare
Rangers striker Lawrence Shankland is set for a spell on the sidelines.
The Scottish forward followed Derek McInnes to Ibrox earlier in the summer.
He has notched four goals in 10 matches so far, with his most valuable contributions being a brace at Falkirk on 2 September.
The 31-year-old was forced off in the clash with Motherwell on Saturday, after just eight minutes.
Luckily, his side managed to bounce back from that setback with a Ryan Naderi strike that proved to be the difference.
Ibrox News examines his contract situation in Govan after the injury nightmare.
How long is Lawrence Shankland's contract with Rangers?
Shankland signed a two-year deal with the option for another year when he joined the Gers.
If he stays for the two years then that would take him until the summer of 2028.
If the parties agree to an extra year, then he would stay in Govan until 2029 at the very earliest.
The Bears would then have a decision to make, as he will be 34 years old when that time comes.
The way his Gers career shapes out may well depends on how he recovers from the issue.
How bad is the injury that Shankland has suffered?
McInnes has already admitted that it is a similar hamstring issue to the one that Shankland had at Hearts last season.
That kept the Scotland striker on the sidelines for three months, and the fear will be that it could be the same in Govan.
Former Celtic captain Scott Brown shared his thoughts on BBC Sportscene, believing that it is a blow not just for the Light Blues.
He said: "You can hear McInnes before, talking about how he might be out for a little while, which is obviously devastating,"
"For himself and for Scotland and Rangers. He got two goals against Falkirk and was just starting to find his feet as captain.
"That's where he wanted to be."
How many matches could Shankland miss?
If it is in fact another three month absence, then the forward will miss 13 matches.
If McInnes' side advance past Celtic in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final next week, it will be more.
The biggest game that he will miss is the Scottish Premiership clash with Celtic, which offers an opportunity for the Gers to make up ground on their arch-rivals.
He will also sit out of league clashes with Kilmarnock, Dundee, St Johnstone, Hearts, Aberdeen, St Mirren, Motherwell, Dundee United, Falkirk and Hibernian.
If injuries start to pile up, and he can't stay fit, McInnes and co will surely have second thoughts about triggering the option to extend in two years.