Rangers supporters will have to wait until January to see their side begin their Scottish Cup campaign, with the Premiership clubs entering the competition at the fourth-round stage.
The first round takes place tomorrow, but Rangers are not involved because of the competition's format.
The 2026/27 Scottish Cup fourth round will take place on Saturday, January 16, 2027, with 32 clubs competing across 16 ties.
The 12 Premiership clubs entering at that stage are Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee, Dundee United, Falkirk, Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian, Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Rangers, St Johnstone and St Mirren. They will be joined by the 20 winners from the third round.
The extended wait to enter the competition could prove significant for Rangers and Derek McInnes given the club's current domestic ambitions.
Rangers chasing three trophies
Rangers are currently two points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership and have responded strongly since their 2-1 defeat against Hibernian.
The Gers have won their last five league matches, keeping themselves firmly in the title picture.
They are also through to the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals after an impressive 3-0 victory over Celtic at Ibrox in the quarter-finals.
With Rangers out of Europe after defeats to Jagiellonia and Jablonec, their remaining schedule is focused entirely on domestic competition.
That has opened up the possibility of a season which could see Rangers compete for all three major domestic trophies.
The club have not completed a domestic treble since 2002/03, when Alex McLeish’s side took home all three Scottish trophies.
The Scottish Cup will represent an opportunity to end that wait.
Shankland: 'I will be measured on trophies'
The expectations around silverware have already been made clear by Rangers captain Lawrence Shankland.
Upon taking the armband, the striker outlined how he expects his time as captain to be judged.
“As the new captain of Rangers, I know how I will be measured: on trophies lifted. The goals I myself score will go a long way to dictating what happens on that front,” he said.
It is a clear indication of the standards surrounding the role and the importance attached to winning trophies at Ibrox.
Ross McCrorie has expressed a similar outlook since returning to the club.
“I returned to Rangers to win trophies. Winning is the only thing that matters at a club like Rangers,” he explained.
“It is about helping to create the standards I remember from successful Rangers teams.”
January could be a crucial point in the season
By the time Rangers enter the Scottish Cup in January, the domestic picture could look very different.
The league title race will have developed further, while Rangers will have already competed against either Hearts or Hibs in the final, should they overcome the Dons on Halloween in the semis.
The fourth-round draw will also reveal Rangers' first opponent in this season's Scottish Cup.
Rangers' Scottish Cup campaign begins on January 16, with the club entering the competition alongside the other 11 Premiership sides listed for the fourth round.
With the club already chasing the league title and through to the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals, the eventual Scottish Cup campaign could become an important part of Rangers' attempt to end the season with a historic haul of domestic silverware.
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