Rangers midfielder Alex Lowry could be out until the start of October with an ankle injury, as per an update from Heart & Hand. 

The lowdown

Lowry has been out of action since a 7-0 win over Dumbarton in the second round of the Scottish Challenge Cup on 23 August, a game in which he scored a hat-trick.

He had to be stretchered off in the final ten minutes following a horrible challenge from Ally Love.

Heart & Hand called the tackle ‘disgusting’ and were concerned that it would be ‘a season-ender and maybe worse’, though it’s worth noting that Love was not banned by the SFA.

The latest

Heart & Hand relay the latest from Rangers B manager David McCallum, who believes Lowry is ‘progressing well’ in his recovery.

‘Initial estimates’ were that Lowry ‘was facing six weeks out’, though, so there’s a ways to go yet.

The verdict

Lowry, 19, had been in fine form prior to his injury.

As well as his hat-trick against Dumbarton, he’d also netted against The Spartans FC and Caledonian Braves to make it five goals in five appearances across the Scottish Challenge Cup and Scottish Lowland League.

On the back of these displays, Lowry was surely on the verge of adding to his tally of seven senior appearances for Rangers.

His former coach Graeme Murty says he’s ‘unlike anyone else at Rangers’ in his package of attributes, and possesses a ‘remarkable degree of self-confidence’.

Meanwhile, BBC pundit Leanne Crichton has raved about the ‘tremendous quality’ he possesses.

Fortunately, it seems this injury won’t derail his development too much, and perhaps he’ll be knocking on the door again later this year.