The wait is almost over. Steve Clarke announces Scotland’s squad for the World Cup not just for fans but for players as well.
At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, the national team coach will announce the 26-man group that will play against Curaçao and Bolivia in the final preparatory games before it all begins in Boston. Yes, it’s the World Cup.
Scotland, returning to football’s biggest stage for the first time since 1998, open the season against Haiti on June 14th.
We know we can expect some loyalty from Clarke, so the core group that helped eliminate the wait for the World Cup will be confident of getting on the plane. But there are others at the forefront, and by Clark’s own admission, there is even room for “outsiders.”
“Should he stay or go?” This was the phrase the head coach used a few months ago when talking about his future. It’s as relevant as considering who will head to North America and who will be left at home…
Goalkeeper’s conundrum
Angus Gunn (left) and Craig Gordon were Clark’s main goalkeepers.
Who to choose as No. 1 is not a new dilemma for Clark.
Injuries and lack of game time at club level have seen six players hang up their gloves since the Euros, with the top two on that list not playing for their clubs.
Angus Gunn started all three group games at Euro 2024 and was between the sticks again at the start of the subsequent Nations League campaign. He was withdrawn from the team due to injury, but returned at the start of World Cup qualifying. However, due to another injury, he was unable to finish that season.
He may look like number one, having played in a friendly against Japan in March, but he has only played 45 minutes for Nottingham Forest this season.
Angus Gunn started Scotland’s Nations League and World Cup qualifying campaign before injury
The problem for Clarke is that the player he has relied on so often during Gunn’s absence is struggling to get game time for his own club.
Craig Gordon, 43, was a substitute during the remaining Nations League games and World Cup qualifiers, but missed the final camp due to injury. A shoulder problem and the excellent form of Hearts No. 1 Alexander Schworrow limited Gordon to just three league appearances all season.
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Craig Gordon made some great saves to help Hearts beat Dundee this season
Scott Bain, who left Celtic for Falkirk last summer to increase his playing time, was the only option to play regularly for the club and was rewarded with his first Scotland appearance in seven years against Ivory Coast in March. He missed the Bears’ last five league games with an ankle injury but is expected to be fit for the World Cup.
The 34-year-old came on as a substitute in the second half of the game against Ivory Coast, replacing Rangers’ Liam Kelly, who also recently featured, but was limited to three cup appearances at club level, playing second fiddle to Jack Butland.
Scott Bain (left) and Liam Kelly (right) both played against Ivory Coast.
Meanwhile, players like Sheeran Slicker and Ross Doohan, who starred in last summer’s friendlies, are unlikely to be recalled.
Defensive decision?
Andy Robertson is almost certain to be Scotland’s captain on their return to the World Cup
Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Anthony Ralston, John Souter, Scott McKenna, Jack Hendry and Aaron Hickey were all in the World Cup qualifying squad, so you would expect them to be on the plane to America.
The same may be true for Grant Hanley. The 34-year-old was in every squad for the World Cup qualifiers and March matches. However, the experienced defender was sidelined with an injury during Hibs’ defeat to Motherwell on Saturday.
Hibernian’s Grant Hanley was injured against Motherwell and had to be substituted.
Nathan Patterson, Ross McCrory and Dom Higham have all played in warm-up games and will be on Clarke’s mind.
But what happens to those who didn’t attend the latest camp? Sassuolo’s Josh Doig and Derby County’s Max Johnston have recently joined the squad and could step into the equation.
Could Steve Clarke recall Max Johnston to the Scotland squad?
While Hearts could feature at both ends of the pitch in the summer, fans of the Scottish Premiership runners-up will feel the likes of Stuart Findlay and Harry Milne should also strengthen Scotland’s defensive line.
midfield stability
Scott McTominay’s incredible bicycle kick against Denmark set Scotland on course for victory and World Cup qualification.
The strongest part of the Scottish team, at least on paper, is the midfield.
Ballon d’Or nominee Scott McTominay further cemented his icon status with his outrageous overhead kick to open the scoring against Denmark and has become an integral part of Scotland’s hopes this summer, alongside the talismanic John McGinn.
In fact, if conditions are met, seven players from each qualifying team will be selected as the finalists. That list includes Billy Gilmour, Ryan Christie, Lewis Ferguson, Ben Gannon-Doak and Kenny McLean – yes, players who scored from the halfway line.
Kenny McLean’s goal from the halfway line will be a moment the Tartan Army will never forget.
Gannon-Doak, who missed Euro 2024 due to injury, is the only player on this list who did not play for Japan and Ivory Coast. However, he has just returned from an injury sustained in the match against Denmark last November.
Ben Gannon-Doak has been left out of Steve Clarke’s March squad to strengthen his fitness following a long-term injury.
He offers wide-area speed that many other Scottish players don’t, but Clarke believes 19-year-old Findlay-Curtis can offer “something similar” to Gannon Doak.
The winger, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Kilmarnock from Rangers, was given a surprise call-up for these warm-up games. He also continued to impress at Rugby Park, scoring four goals in his last four games at safety.
Findlay Curtis scored five goals and provided one assist during his time at Kilmarnock.
Andy Irving, on the other hand, will be hoping to return in March and force a spot after joining Czech side Sparta Prague. The likes of Hibernian’s Josh Mulligan, Rangers’ Conor Barron, Motherwell’s Elliott Watt and Falkirk’s Calvin Miller will also be hoping to show they are fully aligned with Clarke’s wishes.
Striker surprise?
The forward area is likely to be Steve Clarke’s biggest challenge.
Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes were the two strikers he trusted most during his time as manager, so it would be no surprise to see them in the World Cup squad. However, there are concerns about the scoring rate.
Between Lyndon Dykes (left) and Che Adams they have nearly 100 Scotland caps.
Dykes missed the Euros with an ankle injury and has scored just one goal in 14 international games since returning to the team.
Meanwhile, Adams has scored in four of his last 27 games for Scotland. However, two of those goals came during World Cup qualifying, and he has been a regular for Turin, scoring five goals in Serie A this season.
If Clarke needs a goal, he will be expected to turn to Lawrence Shankland. The Hearts captain missed games in March due to injury, but scored 16 goals in a season that brought the club closer to the league title.
Lawrence Shankland scores 20 goals in all competitions despite missing eight weeks with injury
Based on the results of the last four teams, Ipswich’s George Hurst is a favorite for fourth place. The 27-year-old scored 11 goals in the Sky Bet Championship, was named in the all-team squad for the World Cup qualifiers and even started in the warm-up final in March.
However, Clark will be without Tommy Conway. The Middlesbrough player, who scored 13 goals, limped off during the play-offs.
Southampton’s Ross Stewart remains a name on the lips of the Tartans despite winning two caps in June 2022. He was injured for three months this season, but returned in the second half of the season and scored six goals.
Hull City’s Oli McBurnie is also hoping to make the team and has scored 18 goals in 41 games this season, although he last played for the national team in 2017.
Oli McBurnie wants Hull City to enter the Premier League through this weekend’s play-offs
Kieron Bowie has not featured for Scotland since moving from Hibernian to Serie A strugglers Hellas Verona in January, but has scored four goals in his last nine games for Italy.
A little closer to home, Falkirk’s Bernie Stewart will also be hoping to make a splash after a few years playing university football. He scored eight goals in 14 games in the Premiership and six goals in 11 games on loan to Dunfermline in the first half of the season.
Clark has a lot to consider and some big decisions to make.
Scotland qualify for the World Cup. When they are there, the goal is not just to put up numbers, but to progress from the group stage in a major final. Clarke knows he needs to select the right group to do just that.
