Rangers winger Tom Lawrence has suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, according to Michael Beale.

The Welsh international has been out since August but he was closing in on a return to first-team training before this latest issue. Beale says it could now be a “few weeks” before he is ready to play:

“There’s no imminent return for him in terms of returning to playing. We’re hopeful that he’ll return to training in a few weeks. He’s had a minor setback, it’s a delicate one. We’ve been away to see specialists but there’s no exact timeline on it. It’s a matter of him getting out on the grass and starting his rehab and seeing how he feels. He was a long way along with his rehab when we had a minor setback.”

Lawrence was outstanding in the opening weeks of the season, having scored three goals and provided two assists in his first nine appearances.

However, he has now missed 31 matches with the same knee problem and it looks as if he won’t be available again until mid-March. It means he will likely be sidelined for a further five to six games, including the League Cup final against Celtic later this month.

Considering the length of his absence, it would almost feel like a new signing when Lawrence makes his comeback and fans will be hoping he can get back to his best as quickly as possible upon his return.