Scotland injury woes begin to subside as Clarke explains decision to omit returning Serie A star from latest squad

Steve Clarke admits he is relieved to finally see some light at the end of the tunnel as Scotland’s injury woes begin to subside ahead of the last international break of 2024.

The former Kilmarnock boss has named his latest squad for the final UEFA Nations League double-header against Croatia and Poland later this month, with several mainstays including the likes of John McGinn, Scott McKenna and Jack Hendry all returning to the fold after recent spells on the sidelines.

Under-21 goalkeeper Cieran Slicker is included in the senior team for the first time, while uncapped Rangers midfielder Connor Barron and Middlesbrough frontman Tommy Conway also feature. But there was no place in the 25-man pool for returning Bologna star Lewis Ferguson, who made his long-awaited comeback after seven months out with a serious knee problem at the weekend.

The 25-year-old former Aberdeen man suffered a cruciate ligament injury back in April, which ruled him out of the Scots’ Euro 2024 squad. However, Ferguson came on for the final two minutes of the Italian side’s 1-0 Serie A win over Lecce on Saturday and Clarke was thrilled to see him return.

“Yeah, it's good. Obviously for Lewis coming back after the injury he's had, it's about managing it properly, getting the right minutes on the pitch, and I'm sure his club will look after him on his return to play,” Clarke admitted.

“It's always good to get the players back. They're a little bit more regular around the squad. But, listen, the boys that came in last month did a good job, so I'm pleased to have some of the boys back. It's good (having John McGinn back). Obviously a big character in the camp and also a big player for his own pitch, so it's nice to have John back.”

Pressed on his decision to leave Ferguson out, Clarke responded: “I think when you look at the longer term injuries, it's better for them to get minutes at their club, build up their robustness. For people like Lewis (Ferguson), Kieran (Tierney) and Nathan Patterson, it's better that they get minutes over the winter and hopefully they're all fit and flying come March.”

Clarke confirmed Che Adams sustained a thigh issue with Torino at the weekend and will be “scanned and assessed” by the club’s medical staff before a decision is made on whether he will join up with the squad.

The Tartan Army have been keen for Clarke to look at the next generation of young players coming through and one player supporters were hopeful of seeing named in his squad was 18-year-old Motherwell rising star Lennon Miller. The national team boss watched from the stands at Hampden on Sunday as the midfielder led out his team mates during the 2-1 League Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers after being handed the captain’s armband.

Clarke was pleased to see another up-and-coming Scottish talent being provided a platform to showcase their quality on the big stage, insisting it makes his squad selection even harder with such a strong pool of young players to select from.

“It's good for Lennon, it's good for his club,” he stated. “He's another one, a young one, that everybody wants to hype and push. It's important to let young players grow, so let's just allow Lennon a little bit of time and space to grow up more than well.

“It makes my job easier because you want to have as many difficult choices as you can, you want to have as many good players as you can, so the more young ones that are coming through, the better it is for everybody in Scotland. It's already been mentioned in one of the reports that came out recently that we don't produce enough young players, so hopefully we can in the future.

“I think for everybody it's important that they recognise there's a pathway for the under-21s into the senior squad. I've always tried to show that we can do that, and Cieran's another one on the list. In the squad now we've got Connor Barron, we've got Ben Doak, you've still got Tommy Conway. We're showing that there is a pathway, and we need to look for the next generation as well.”

Scotland squad in full

Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon (Hearts), Robby McCrorie (Kilmarnock), Cieran Slicker (Ipswich Town)

Defenders: Nicky Devlin (Aberdeen), Grant Hanley (Norwich), Jack Hendry (Al-Ettifaq), Scott McKenna (UD Las Palmas), Ryan Porteous (Watford), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andrew Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Greg Taylor (Celtic)

Midfielders: Connor Barron (Rangers), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Ben Doak (Middlesbrough), Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Lewis Morgan (New York Red Bulls)

Forwards: Ché Adams (Torino), Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough), Lyndon Dykes (Birmingham City), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts)