McInnes backs Shankland for 'big influence' at Rangers

What the report says

Rangers manager Derek McInnes has backed striker Lawrence Shankland to make a major contribution at Ibrox, saying the Scotland forward is "too good not to score regularly" and will have a strong influence even if he is not always in the starting line-up. The remarks came after Shankland, who joined Rangers recently, was used as a substitute in Sunday’s 5-1 League Cup win over St Mirren, which delivered Rangers their first victory of the season.

Shankland has scored once in five appearances for Rangers so far. McInnes, who worked with him at Hearts last season, pointed to the 31-year-old’s knack for finding space in the penalty area and his natural goalscoring instincts. He also said Shankland had accepted the decision over the captaincy and would still contribute as a leader on and off the pitch.

The BBC Sport report also noted McInnes’ comments on midfielder Nico Raskin, who has been linked with a possible move away but is described by the manager as fully committed in training. Rangers now turn to a Conference League play-off first leg against Jablonec, with McInnes saying the Czech side are in good form and can change shape, but that his team must focus on producing a strong performance in Glasgow.