Lawrence Shankland will have no on-pitch role in Rangers' Tynecastle return, but Derek McInnes expects his influence to remain as he recovers from hamstring surgery. The Scotland striker is still a month off from returning after undergoing surgery on his hamstring, ruling him out of tonight's clash with Hearts.
Shankland, who joined Rangers in the summer along with McInnes, will instead be limited to passing on information to teammates about what to expect at Tynecastle. McInnes admitted the striker's influence on the game itself will be "absolutely zero," but stressed his presence will still be felt behind the scenes.
McInnes on Shankland's role
"No, I think his role will be absolutely zero, to be honest," McInnes said. "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."
"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."
McInnes said Shankland and Cammy Devlin, who is also missing out due to a groin issue, will both try to pass on information about Tynecastle, though he noted there will likely be enough players in the team who have already played there.
Former Hearts stars face hostile return
Shankland's move to Rangers triggered an option in his contract that allowed him to leave Hearts for free, making him a hate figure at a club where he was once adored. Devlin, who refused to sign a new Tynecastle deal before sealing his own Rangers move, faces a similar reception.
McInnes acknowledged that sitting out on a return to their former ground will sting both men. "They're good lads. It's not easy for them," he said. "We walk past the gym, which has big glass windows, with our boots on as we go out to train. There's nothing worse for a player than watching your teammates go outside while you're stuck in the gym. It's not easy for them, but they're both positive in their outlook."
"They know they'll be back during the first week or so of December. We're almost into November now, so they can see the finishing line. They're infectious boys and good types. That's part of the reason why we brought them here."
McInnes braces for backlash
McInnes is also preparing for a hostile reception after walking out on the Gorgie faithful. Asked if he had made a spying trip east, he said: "Naw, you kidding? I'm going to have to go back to at some time. But I'm proud of the job I did. I felt the guilt about leaving. That affected some of the excitement of doing the job here I wanted to do at Rangers. It was a tough decision in that sense."
He added: "My job now is to improve things at Rangers and try to win trophies here. But you always have to go back to your old team at some point. I think every component will come into it tomorrow night."
McInnes also recalled last month's win at Celtic Park, where Rangers claimed three points without any away support. He said: "I felt we got that at Celtic Park. Despite the circumstances, not having any fans and the intimidating atmosphere, I took comfort from the fact that the players were so confident in our work and very assured."
"Tomorrow is a different game, but there are similarities in terms of how we deal with it." Rangers will take 575 supporters to the capital for the match.
