EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Laurence Shankland, top scorer and captain of Scottish league leaders Heart of Midlothian, will miss at least six weeks with an injury as the Edinburgh club attempts to end a 40-year title monopoly between Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers.
Hearts said on Tuesday that Shankland would be out for “6-8 weeks” after straining his hamstring during the weekend’s Scottish Cup tie against Falkirk.
advertise
Shankland tops the Scottish Premiership with 11 goals as Hearts bid for the title for the first time since 1960.
He also scored in a 4-2 win over Denmark in November, helping Scotland qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 28 years. June will feature games against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil.
Hearts sit six points ahead of Celtic and Rangers and host four-time defending champions Celtic on Sunday. Shankland will also miss the game against Rangers on February 15.
Only Celtic and Rangers have won back-to-back titles in the Scottish League in four years, starting in 1986 when unknown Hearts suffered a final-day defeat. An unbeaten run from October to May ended with a draw against Dundee, which handed Celtic the title on a goal difference decider.
advertise
A season full of surprises
In an off-season Champions League season, Hearts are aiming to join Sweden’s Mijlebi and Norway’s Vikings in the next round of Champions League qualification.
In France, Lens is ahead of European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the hunt for the club’s first title in 28 years, while Swiss league leaders Thun have never won the national title in their 128-year history.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
