Derek McInnes dangles Rangers Cup Final carrot in front of crocked stars as return timelines revealed

McInnes expects Yokota back by end of month, McCrorie early next week, and Shankland and Devlin available by early December for the cup final against Hibs on December 13.

Rangers manager Derek McInnes has outlined recovery timelines for four sidelined players ahead of the Premier Sports Cup final against Hibernian on December 13 at Hampden.

Daisuke Yokota should return by the end of November, Ross McCrorie is expected back at the start of next week, while club captain Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin are targeted to be available by the first week of December. Youssef Chermiti remains a long-term absentee. McInnes said the cup final provides motivation for the injured players to accelerate their recovery, though he cautioned there are still hurdles to overcome.

Rangers extended their unbeaten run to 11 games with a 1-0 win over Aberdeen on Saturday to reach the final. They face St Mirren on Saturday night, with McInnes confident of naming another strong squad after the Hampden victory.