Scottish Gossip: Barton, Tierney, Rangers, Celtic, England, Scotland

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Joey Barton has spent the last 10 days in a boot camp in a Qatari desert in a desperate bid to salvage his Rangers career, with the 34-year-old midfielder due to return to the club's training HQ on Monday morning after serving a month-long club suspension. (Daily Record)

Rangers manager Mark Warburton has pleaded for his summer signings to be given time to find their feet in Scotland. (The National)

Arsenal and Manchester City have stepped up their interest in Celtic and Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney. (The Sun)

England are plotting a move to beat Scotland to the services of Karamoko Dembele, the London-born 13-year-old of Ivory Coast parents who made world headlines after coming on as a substitute for Celtic Under-20s against Hearts on Monday. (Daily Mail)

Former Hearts winger Jose Quitongo says his son, Jai, is ready to pledge his allegiance to Portugal if the Scotland youth set-up continues to overlook the 19-year-old Greenock Morton striker. (The Sun, print edition)

Former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes his country's meeting with Scotland at Wembley next month will make or break Gareth Southgate's hopes of landing the national manager's job on a permanent basis. (The Herald)

Joey Barton was disciplined by Rangers

Hearts' Callum Paterson has had his training scaled down to protect the 21-year-old ahead of Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Lithuania because he is the only fit right-back in the Scotland squad. (Daily Mail)

Barry Bannan has overcome an injury scare ahead of Scotland's World Cup qualifier against Lithuania, the midfielder having been troubled by a pain in his foot for the past week. (Daily Express)

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan hopes to cement his place in the Scotland starting line-up now that Celtic's Scott Brown has retired from the national set-up. (The Herald)

Celtic captain Scott Brown has insisted that quitting Scotland duty at the age of 31 can extend his playing career until he is 40. (Daily Record)

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan has admitted that he considered retiring from Scotland duty because of his failure to win a regular starting place. (Daily Record)

Scotland will take to the field at Hampden Park against Lithuania in the 2018 World Cup qualifier with one major advantage, having six players in the squad with more than 30 caps, while former Hearts defender Deividas Cesnaukis, with 64 caps, has more than twice the number of any other player in the visitors' squad. (The National)

Former Scotland captain Scott Brown, who has retired from international football to concentrate on his Celtic career, says he will be in the stand celebrating with the Tartan Army if the national team qualifies for the World Cup finals. (Daily Record)

Kieran Tierney is being linked with top English clubs

Slovakia, who host Scotland in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, have been hit by a bonuses row. (The Sun, print edition)

Fenerbahce defender Martin Skrtel has returned to training with Slovakia ahead of Scotland's visit on Tuesday after nose surgery having played against Osmanlipsor on Sunday with the aid of a protective mask. (Deadline News)

Scotland's World Cup opponents, Slovenia, are in disarray after their own players released a statement criticising Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Kevin Kampl for pulling out of the squad because he was tired. (The Sun, print edition)

Hamilton Academical goalkeeper Remi Matthews, who is on loan from Norwich City, has revealed that he could be sidelined with a shoulder injury for three months. (Daily Record)

Jackie McNamara believes the York City players are desperate for him to stay on as boss of the National League club and the Scot has insisted that it was his own decision to release Wednesday's statement announcing he would resign if his side lose this weekend. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP

The 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia will have an equal number of medal events for men and women in what is being seen as a major breakthrough for equality in sport. (The Scotsman)

Ricky Hatton reckons Ricky Burns has earned his place among the British boxing greats despite the Hitman hoping his charge, Kiryl Relikh, will rip the WBA light-welterweight title from the Scot at the Hydro in Glasgow on Friday. (Daily Record)