Chris Jack has shared a crucial squad update from Derek McInnes’ pre-match press conference ahead of Rangers’ high-stakes trip to face Hearts on Sunday (28 October), confirming that the Light Blues have emerged from the weekend with no fresh injury setbacks.

Reporting from Auchenhowie via X on Tuesday (27 October), Jack revealed McInnes’ upbeat assessment of his squad following Saturday’s 4-0 demolition of St Johnstone, with the manager declaring that “everyone’s good to go” for Wednesday night’s clash at Tynecastle.

Jack further confirmed that key pair Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin remain on track to make their long-awaited injury returns in early December. The captain has been unavailable since picking up a thigh injury in early September, while the Australian midfielder was ruled out after pulling his hamstring in the 1-0 Premiership win against Celtic prior to the international break.

While McInnes’ clean bill of health and the clear timetable for Shankland and Devlin offer massive encouragement for the title chase, Jack’s report inadvertently sharpens the focus on summer signing Daisuke Yokota, who arrived at Ibrox from Hannover for £2.75million.

Daisuke Yokota mystery grows as Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin given injury return timelines at Rangers

Yokota underwent surgery in London alongside Shankland earlier in mid-September after tearing a muscle in his groin, prompting expectations that both rehabilitation processes would run parallel toward a November-December return. However, while Shankland’s path back to match fitness has been publicly plotted for early December, no timeline whatsoever has been given for the Japanese winger.

Yokota has not featured in a starting lineup for Rangers since the agonising penalty shootout defeat against Jablonec in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers on 27 August, leaving him absent from competitive starting XI duty for two full months.

The silence surrounding Yokota’s recovery is made even more perplexing by the fact that the 26-year-old wide man has been spotted around Auchenhowie in recent weeks. He was spotted spending time with the rest of the Rangers squad prior to the international break.

Despite his presence in and around the club, McInnes‘ omission of Yokota from any comeback window suggests the former Hannover attacker remains far off full contact training or match readiness. It is worth noting that he has also not been spotted in any of Rangers’ recent training pictures.

Yokota had earned praise for his sharp dribbling and direct threat in his early Rangers days. Although Minsu Kim and Badredine Bouanani have received plaudits in recent days, McInnes would benefit from having the tricky winger back fit.

Until further clarity emerges, Jack’s press conference update leaves Rangers fans questioning when their summer signing will finally step back onto the pitch.