Scotland's World Cup 30 into 26 will not work - some squad members simply won't make it

With the World Cup just around the corner, these forthcoming games might be the last chance for players to claim a spot on the final 26-man roster for the finals. Four other players who would otherwise be rated certainties are currently injured.

Aaron Hickey, Ben Gannon-Doak and the Hearts pair Craig Gordon and Lawrence Shankland are in different stages of recovery. However, Clarke remains hopeful that they can all make the final cut. But 30 into 26 will not go. Some of the names Clarke included in his latest squad will not make it onto the plane. The manager's main task will be trimming.

This could be bad news for the likes of Kieran Bowie, whose first goal in Serie A for Hellas Verona earlier this month was not enough to merit inclusion. Clarke did the rounds last weekend at various Scottish league grounds. While he enjoyed the hospitality, he appears to have drawn limited value from a mini-tour of Parkhead, Rugby Park and Dens Park. Only Findlay Curtis’ inclusion among the forwards could be described as an out and out surprise. The 19-year-old Rangers player has impressed since joining Kilmarnock on loan and stood out in their 1-0 victory over Hearts in difficult conditions on Saturday night. A well wrapped up Clarke was in attendance to watch.

He had earlier attended Celtic v Motherwell and while away side right back Stephen O’Donnell impressed, he has not managed to force his way back into the squad. O’Donnell had spoken in papers that morning about hoping he might be able to add to his 26 caps, the last of which came against Austria in 2022. Clarke has retained faith in full back Anthony Ralston, who made only a fleeting appearance as substitute against Motherwell. It seems incumbent to note that Ralston is currently being kept out of the Celtic side by a Scot, Colby Donovan. In the absence of Hickey, Clarke has called up Everton’s Nathan Patterson. Although much is always expected of Patterson, who has major finals experience, he has been an unused substitute for weeks at his club since recovering from injury. Perhaps the fact that one of the games, against Ivory Coast, is to be played at his club ground in Liverpool worked in his favour.

Clarke’s Tayside visit on Sunday afternoon seems to have been fulfilling only in a personal capacity. He revealed that it was his first-ever Dundee derby. While he picked an explosive one—Dundee came back to draw 2-2 thanks to two stoppage time goals - the meeting of seventh v eighth did not yield much of significance for Scotland. Rightly so some will attest given its mid-to-lower league table context.

Although Dundee ‘keeper Jon McCracken was man of the match and pulled off a string of excellent saves, he has not forced his way into the squad ahead of Liam Kelly, the No. 2 at Rangers, and Falkirk’s Scott Bain, who keeps his place after being called up for the final World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark in November.

The goalkeeping issue laid bare

McCracken cannot do much more than what he did at Dens Park in front of the Scotland manager. His exclusion underlines Clarke’s optimism that Gordon will be fit. Even if he takes four goalkeepers to the States, as he did to Euro 2024, the four names now look to be set in stone. Everyone is hoping Gordon can prove he is healthy enough to make it to America for what could be the perfect way to end his glorious career. In the meantime, Clarke could elect to give both Bain and Kelly a half each in one of the friendlies, as he did in a March friendly against France before Euro 2024 when Kelly and Zander Clark were Angus Gunn’s deputies. Gunn looks certain to play at least one whole match given his unavoidable rustiness.

Perhaps the most unwelcome news for Clarke in the last few weeks was the seemingly innocuous knee injury sustained by Nottingham Forest goalkeeper John Victor in January, which has in fact ruled the Brazilian out for the season. It meant that despite Gunn’s intention to go out on loan in search of regular game-time in the next transfer window, having slipped to No.3 choice, he suddenly became indispensable as back-up ’keeper to Matz Sels. Apart from a brief cameo when replacing the injured Sels at half time against Crystal Palace in February, he has been watching from the Forest bench since making a comeback from the knee injury that ruled him out of the final World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark. Of all 26 names in Clarke’s latest squad, Gunn is most desperate for games.

Not playing club football regularly in the Autumn is one thing, but a whole season of sporadic appearances, at best, is a problem even for a goalkeeper. Clarke has spoken before of this position being a special case. A degree of inactivity need not necessarily have a negative effect on performance. Such an assessment isn’t going to wash in March after many months where Gunn and Gordon have mostly been kicking their heels on the sidelines, when not on the physio’s bed.

A more upbeat subject is Ben Gannon-Doak. Clarke explained the Bournemouth winger was left out because he is at such a critical point of his recovery process. Like Shankland, he is better served staying at his club to train following the serious hamstring injury sustained on the night Scotland created such good vibes throughout the land by qualifying for the World Cup.

Clarke’s own condition appears best summed up on the report card as “the same as ever". Reporters were summarily dismissed in the hope, he said, albeit with a smile, of getting “more sensible” questions from thrilled pupils gathered at the back of the room.