Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has revealed that he is expected to submit a bumper 55-man preliminary squad to FIFA ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
Drawn in Group C in their first appearance at the tournament in 28 years, Clarke’s team will face Haiti in their opening game at the 63,815-capacity Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on June 13, before they take on Morocco at the same stadium five days later. Scotland finish their group stage fixtures with a match against Brazil in Miami on June 24.
Expected to name an enlarged squad of players, with a deadline of 11 May, Scotland will face a pre-tournament friendly against Curacao at Hampden Park on May 30. Clarke must then whittle down his list to 26 before the tournament begins the following month.
But who are the 55 players that Clarke is likely to be considering as part of his Scotland World Cup long-list? Here, we look at the players he is likely to consider.
53. CF: Kevin Nisbet - Aberdeen
Given his international debut by Steve Clarke five years ago, he has scored seven league goals in 20 starts for Aberdeen this term. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group
54. CF: Fraser Hornby - Darmstadt
Despite being Scotland Under-21s record goalscorer, Hornby is yet to be capped at senior level. He'll hope his nine goals and six assists in the German second tier has caught the attention of Steve Clarke ahead of the summer. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group
55. CF: Oli Burke - Union Berlin
The former Celtic loanee has performed well in the German Bundesliga in recent seasons for both Union Berlin and Werder Bremen. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group