Rangers captain Lawrence Shankland could return to action in early December after undergoing hamstring surgery. With the 31-year-old continuing his recovery, manager Derek McInnes expects Shankland and team-mate Cammy Devlin to pass on valuable information to the squad ahead of Wednesday evening's trip to face their former side Hearts at Tynecastle. Meanwhile, 26-year-old defender Dujon Sterlin has declared he is "happy" at Rangers and noted that "there are no problems" regarding his contract situation, with 18 months still left on his deal.
Across Glasgow, former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew expects full-back Anthony Ralston, 27, to seal a departure from the Scottish champions in the January transfer window. In other Parkhead news, 20-year-old Colby Donovan is aiming to emulate his role model and fellow Celtic full-back Kieran Tierney, 29. In the capital, Hibernian goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger, 30, insists the Easter Road outfit are not in a panic about sitting bottom of the Scottish Premiership, while Hibs also hope 33-year-old attacker Martin Boyle will be well enough to feature against Hearts in Sunday's Scottish League Cup semi-final.
Further contract movement and selection updates are developing across the top flight. Aberdeen have opened negotiations with 25-year-old defender Gavin Molloy over fresh terms. Across the street at Dens Park, versatile Dundee player Drey Wright, 31, is eager to prolong his stay beyond the expiry of his current contract next summer. At St Johnstone, 29-year-old defender Bozo Mikulic feels ready to step back into the starting line-up after making substitute appearances in recent weeks following a lengthy injury absence.
In Dundee United's camp, Lyall Cameron highlighted the strong connection in the middle of the pitch, expressing that he, Zidane Iqbal, and Dylan Tait complement one another effectively while sharing "a close bond" as midfielders. Off the pitch, officiating decisions remain in the spotlight after former referee Des Roache criticised Scottish head of referees Willie Collum over his handling of whistler Matthew McDermid, following the controversial penalty awarded to Partick Thistle during their 1-0 win against Ayr United.