Rangers captain Lee Wallace admits he is hoping to be given the green light to step up his recovery from injury when he visits a Manchester-based specialist next week.

The left-back has been sidelined since tearing his groin in the 2-2 draw at Partick Thistle on September 15, with manager Pedro Caixinha admitting that he expected Wallace to be sidelined for up to eight weeks.

The 30-year-old is happy with the progress he is making and is keen to be given the go ahead to return to the training pitch.

Read more: Kenny Miller will be fully motivated if he returns for Rangers at Hampden, says Bruno Alves

Wallace, who missed the tail end of last season after undergoing stomach surgery, said: “I’m probably at the halfway stage now, I’ve to be reassessed down in Manchester where the initial assessment was. 

“It’s a top-level facility just across the road from Manchester City’s training ground, there are experts in different fields in the areas I’ve been struggling in. It’s brilliant. 

“We’ll match the two scans up and hopefully move forward when I get back. Hopefully I can push on and get outside as quickly as I can.

“It’s five weeks since that game at Partick Thistle. Hopefully being outside can accelerate the recovery time.

“In the Partick game my shot was that bad that I managed to tear my own groin off the back of it. 

“But once I’m healed I’ll be hopefully be feeling the best I’ve felt for a number of years.”

Read more: Rangers defender Bruno Alves targets Hampden glory to add to his career medal haul

Wallace has watched his team-mates pick up successive victories over Hamilton and St Johnstone ahead of Sunday’s Betfred Cup semi-final against Motherwell.

Caixinha described the 3-0 win at McDiarmid Park as the best of his reign to date but Wallace insists the Ibrox outfit still have a long way to go before they can be happy with the progress they are making.

He added: “The most important thing for me is the team doing well. Whether I’m in the team or not, I’m delighted for the boys to be winning games and everyone knows that is what’s needed the most at our club. 

“It was a good performance, we know that but there is a lot of work to do and we’re never going to rest on things. 

“There’s a long way to go before we can deem ourselves happy with the way things are going. We’re going fine just now, it’s going game to game.”

Wallace admits reaching another cup final this week would give everyone at the club a boost.He said: “Sunday will be a really tough game, we know that Motherwell have been in really good form. 

“They deserve our respect and they’ve got players that can hurt you. 

“We need to be at the top of our game and if it all goes well, hopefully that sets us up for the next few weeks.”