Scotland reaction: Steve Clarke addresses Cieran Slicker 'too early' debut and key injury in warm-up as crisis looms

Angus Gunn was helped off with an ankle injury just eight minutes in and when most expected Robby McCrorie to take his place, 22-year-old novice Cieran Slicker was sent on. It later emerged McCrorie had injured himself in the warm-up.

Slicker has played only nine minutes of first-team football this season for Ipswich Town and Clarke admitted he was under-cooked.

But he might have to turn to him for the friendly against Liechtenstein on Monday night in Vaduz in the absence of anyone else. The only other fit ‘keeper in the squad is the newly called up 18-year-old Callan McKenna from Bournemouth. Slicker was partly at fault for all three of Iceland's goal but then he should never have been playing.

“It was a difficult night,” said Clarke. “It didn’t get off to the best of starts when we lost our number two goalkeeper in the warm-up then two minutes into the game our number one gets injured as well. It was a tough night and I feel a little bit for young Cieran. I’ll sit with him over the next couple of days and have a little chat about it.

“I’ll give him reassurance because he probably went in when it was too early. He wasn’t quite ready for it. That wasn’t his fault. That’s the circumstances that dictated that.

Slicker to get support

“We’ll now try and support him as much as can. Listen, he’ll get over it. Goalkeepers are a resilient bunch. His character is good in and around the squad. He’s comfortable. This was probably just an opportunity that came a little bit too early for him. But we’ll be there to support him and help him.

"Listen, we could talk about might about Cieran and what happened for him, but it’s a circumstance I pointed out in March. I could see something like this possibly happening. The only crumb of comfort to take from it is that it happened in a friendly match. And hopefully we can be better prepared when it comes to the autumn.”

Clarke relayed the litany of misfortunate when it comes to goalkeepers. “Angus and Robby are both out. Angus hurt his ankle and Robby has a thigh injury. Craig Gordon is injured, Liam Kelly is injured, Zander Clark is injured. Now Angus Gunn is injured and Robby McCrorie is injured.

“Fortunately we had young Callan McKenna in training with us this week so he’ll join the squad. I’ll also have a little scout around and see if anybody is not on the beach and is available to come.

“It is pretty unusual to have your five first-choice goalkeepers all injured,” he added. “Not everyone plays regularly at their club. It is something we have to address and look at. But it is not going to change in a click of the fingers. It is more for the long term, and the next head coach and the next head coach after that.”

Iceland target him

Iceland manager Arnar Gunnlaugsson admitted Iceland had targeted Slicker, who he suspected would find it challenging coming on for his debut in such circumstances. “It was an instruction to press him straight away,” he said.

“It’s always difficult for a goalkeeper to come into a game when he’s cold. It’s especially difficult with his feet so it was an opportunity to give it a go. We were fortunate with the pressing. It was difficult for him to save the first shot.”

The manager hoped his players would get the credit, rather than people focusing on Scotland’s goalkeeper woes. “It was good players on a bad day,” he said, with reference to Scotland. “But we worked hard.”