The early weeks of the new Scottish Premiership campaign have already delivered a torrent of drama, injuries and managerial pressure, despite the season being barely two months old. Three clubs in particular are feeling the strain: Rangers, Celtic and Hearts, each grappling with key absences and the expectations that come with a strong start. Rangers have been forced to confront a serious blow to their attacking options with the likely hamstring injury to Lawrence Shankland. The striker, who had only just begun to find his rhythm after joining the Glasgow side, limped off in the Saturday win over Motherwell.
The same type of injury sidelined him for three months during his spell at Hearts last season, so the prognosis is not encouraging. While Ryan Naderi stepped up to score the solitary goal against the Steelmen and the club also secured the £9 million acquisition of Kevin Kelsy on deadline day, the loss of Shankland still leaves a noticeable gap.
The timing is particularly unfortunate because Rangers have already been hit by the long‑term ACL rupture suffered by forward Youssef Chermiti, ruling him out for a "significant period". Bojan Miovski, who arrived from Girona in the summer, has struggled to cement a regular starting berth despite a respectable return of 13 goals across all competitions in his first season, averaging a goal every 142 minutes.
By contrast, Naderi’s strike rate last term was a goal every 203 minutes, and Shankland’s record under Steven McInnes at Hearts was an impressive goal every 86.5 minutes. The disparity underscores how valuable Shankland’s contribution could have been for the Ibrox faithful. Celtic, meanwhile, are dealing with the temporary loss of Hyun‑Jun Yang, the South Korean winger who netted the winner against St Mirren and has become a vital part of Martin O'Neill’s side.
Yang’s performances have helped Celtic achieve a perfect start to the league – five wins from five – but he will now miss the next four fixtures as he joins the South Korean national team for the Asian Cup. His influence is evident: two goals and an assist in just seven league appearances this season, building on a previous campaign in which he recorded ten goals and three assists. Yang’s pace and creativity on the left flank have made him a first‑choice option when available, and his absence will force O'Neill to reshuffle his attacking setup. In Edinburgh, Hearts have continued to impress under new head coach Wouter Vrancken, sitting second in the table after a dramatic victory at Dundee.
The club entered the season having lost several key players to Rangers – notably former manager Steven McInnes, striker Lawrence Shankland and midfielder Cammy Devlin – which led many observers to question how competitive Hearts could remain. Yet Vrancken has steadied the ship. After a bruising European exit and a defeat to Aberdeen on the opening weekend, the Hearts side has gone unbeaten in the league, demonstrating resilience and a capacity to compete at the top end of the table.
Across the city, Hibernian are facing a very different narrative. After a midweek loss in the Edinburgh derby, the Hibees suffered a further setback against Premiership newcomers St Johnstone, intensifying the pressure on manager David Gray.
The club’s recent form has left Gray hovering just a few poor results away from a fan backlash, and a forthcoming League Cup tie against League One side Ross County looms as a potential disaster for the former captain‑turned‑coach. The stakes are high, and a slip could see the Hibs faithful turning their backs on the managerial team. Further north, Aberdeen have endured a rough start to the season.
After a goalless draw with Kilmarnock that saw the Dons booed off the pitch, Stephen Robinson finds himself with only one Premiership win in his first five matches. Expectations at Pittodrie are lofty, yet the team has managed just three league goals while conceding six, prompting fury among supporters.
Robinson oversaw the arrival of 14 new signings over the summer, but the squad has yet to coalesce into a reliable eleven, and questions abound about how much time he will be granted to reverse the club’s fortunes. Finally, Kilmarnock’s Neil McCann is also under scrutiny.
After rescuing the club from relegation last season, McCann’s side earned a point against Aberdeen at Pittodrie – their best result of the campaign so far – but have scored only four goals while conceding fourteen in the Premiership. McCann openly admitted that the team has let the fans down, yet he remains confident that a turnaround is possible.
The upcoming League Cup quarter‑final against Aberdeen presents a crucial opportunity for the Rugby Park outfit to prove their mettle and restore some optimism among their supporters. In summary, the Scottish Premiership’s opening weeks have already produced a cascade of challenges: Rangers coping with the loss of a prolific striker, Celtic missing a key winger on international duty, Hearts navigating a transition after losing several key figures, and three other clubs – Hibernian, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock – wrestling with managerial criticism and inconsistent performances.
As the season progresses, the ability of each manager to adapt, find solutions and rally their squads will be pivotal in determining who can sustain early momentum and who will falter under the weight of expectation.