Scotland Men's Football Team

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From wanting more from a debutant and a lack of clinical edge, to what it means - if anything - going forward, here's what the Sportsound pundits made of Scotland's friendly win over Gibraltar on Monday...

Former Scotland striker Steven Thompson: "Stopping that winless run was important, but how much confidence are you going to take from that? It couldn't be more removed from what the Germany game is going to look like.

"I'm hoping on Friday against Finland we get more energy. I hope we see the Scotland team that got us to the tournament in the first place.

"Friday will be a better game, a better test. It's about peaking at a specific moment, it's a difficult thing to do. That's the balancing act."

Ex-Scotland defender Willie Miller: "Ross McCrorie can have a real influence when he's positive, but I think he took the easy option too often. That's a position that's up for grabs. I wish he had done more, because he's capable of more.

"I think Steve Clarke will be disappointed they didn't take more of the chances created. There were two very good goals, though, and a boost for Ryan Christie and Che Adams.

"You're looking for Lawrence Shankland scoring, which is disappointing. He would have hoped to get a goal or two. Adams did what a striker needs to do and that's scoring."

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Having gained his first Scotland cap in three years after a stellar end to the campaign with Celtic, James Forrest discussed his return to the national side and recent form following the friendly win over Gibraltar.

Here's the best of what the winger had to say...

Did you think this moment would come again?

"Obviously I've not been in a camp for three years and you're getting a bit older as well. I've really enjoyed my football these last couple of months and I'm delighted to get the call-up and get another game for Scotland. I'm just going to enjoy every day I'm here."

Did you start to feel you had a chance in the past couple of months?

"Everyone was saying that to me, but honestly I was just focused on every game at Celtic. Then you obviously know the Euros are coming up and every Scottish player wants to go and be a part of it. I'm the same even though I'm getting older, you still want to work hard and play for your national team as much as you can and it was a great boost."

Would you feel unlucky not to make the final squad now?

"That's down to the manager. I think myself and a few others just need to come away, enjoy it and try and give our best. That's all you can do."

How special would it be for you to make these Euros?

"Obviously when you’re playing as a professional, you want to be playing in the biggest games possible, to be playing in the big stadiums against the best players, and I've managed to do that all my career. So I'm going to just enjoy the next few days and when the manager makes his decision I'll get on with that."

On playing on left wing on Monday...

"They’ve had a lot of joy playing a different formation. I can play in a different couple positions, I’ve done that with Celtic as well, so I'm just happy to play anywhere. Anyone will feel the same."

Does it feel like you've been away at all?

"I think maybe Angus Gunn was the only player I didn't know, so after the first day it was as if I hadn't been away. I've known loads of the boys for years and it's a really tight group so it just felt normal and it was good to be back training and playing with them again."

What was your reaction to being named in the provisional squad?

"Obviously I was delighted, it’s been a great few months. I've not actually been thinking about going to the Euros, I've just been thinking about meeting up, training and the couple of friendlies. So now I'll look forward to the Finland game and just enjoy the next few days."

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Ross McCrorie says he reached "the pinnacle" of his career by making his Scotland debut on Monday.

The Bristol City defender, 26, earned his first senior cap at right-back in the friendly victory over Gibraltar, playing the entire 90 minutes.

A "delighted" McCrorie said "hopefully I made my family proud" post-match.

"The manager said go and do what I've been doing down at Bristol City," he added.

"It's the pinnacle of a young footballer's career to play for the national team. Any footballer wants to play in the top tournaments. You've got to relish playing under pressure."

On the team's performance in Portugal, McCrorie said: "We need to keep the performance levels high. We did that, but there should have been a few more goals."

So, what did you make of Scotland's win over Gibraltar in Faro? Concerning? Job done?

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Scotland head coach Steve Clarke: "I learned the grass is really sticky. It was a different surface. It certainly wasn't a night for dribblers.

"What we learned is that we can create chances and we just need to find the final finish. We need to work on it in training and their confidence in terms of finishing.

"When it comes to Che Adams - bang, goal. That's the kind of confidence you need to show at this level.

"It was just to stay patient - 2-0, clean sheet. Let's use it as a training exercise, which it was. We're reasonably pleased."

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Thomas Duncan, BBC Sport Scotland

This match was never likely to serve up much intrigue given the context.

A largely empty stadium. A Scotland squad with some players short of match fitness, and others concerned about suffering the same fate as Lyndon Dykes by getting injured so close to the tournament. And a poor Gibraltar side.

It was hardly a surprise this was a low tempo affair. In truth there is not much Steve Clarke can take from it beyond getting some minutes into the likes of Grant Hanley, Kieran Tierney, Ryan Jack, and Che Adams.

Ross McCrorie made his debut at right-back, but cannot be judged against such opposition. And even then the Bristol City player was caught out for Gibraltar's one chance in the first-half, when a pass was curled in behind him.

What is a concern is the poor finishing. Scotland had enough chances to make this a lot more comfortable.

In isolation it could be written off, but a lack of killer instinct was also evident in the defeats by the Netherlands and Northern Ireland in March.

Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary will be similarly unforgiving if that continues.

Ever since serenely qualifying for Euro 2024, Scotland's momentum has stalled and injury issues have dogged their build up.

The loss of first-choice right-backs Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson, and midfielder Lewis Ferguson was compounded by Dykes' training ground injury.

Others such as Hanley, Jack, Ben Doak, Liam Cooper, and Adams barely played in recent months, and Adams has had a calf issue. Cooper was forced off in Faro, too.

The only positive note is it has stopped the run of seven games without a win, and warm-up friendlies scarcely reflect a team's tournament performance.

Three years ago Scotland were impressive in drawing with the Netherlands, while also seeing off Luxembourg, and failed to win a group stage game.

For Clarke it's all about what happens between the 14 and 24 June.

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Steve Clarke said we'd maybe see a "slightly unfamiliar line-up" tonight and it is just that.

Zander Clark starts in goal with a four at the back in front of him that includes debutant Ross McCrorie.

Kenny McLean and Billy Gilmour anchor the midfield, with John McGinn, Ryan Christie and James Forrest, earning his first cap in three years, behind Lawrence Shankland.

We knew that last night there would be no Stuart Armstrong, Scott McTominay or John Souttar, with the trio still building up their fitness.

Ben Doak is also missing from the squad.

Scotland: Clark, McCrorie, Hanley, Porteous, Robertson, Gilmour, McLean, Christie, McGinn, Forrest, Shankland.

Substitutes: Gunn, Kelly, Gordon, Ralston, Tierney, McGregor, Adams, Hendry, Cooper, Taylor, Doak, Jack, McKenna.

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Former Scotland striker Steven Thompson believes Lyndon Dykes' injury has boosted Lawrence Shankland's chances of starting the opening game of Euro 2024 against Germany.

Steve Clarke's squad is down to two recognised strikers after the QPR frontman picked up an ankle strain in training, leaving Shankland and Southampton's Che Adams.

And after another stellar season at Tynecastle, Thompson is backing the Hearts striker to be given the nod in Munich.

"If it was me, I would go with Lawrence Shankland because instinctively he's the most natural finisher that we have," he told BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Chances might be at a premium, certainly might be a premium in the Germany game. They're going to be good.

"His contribution's been phenomenal this season. But I do think Shankland - certainly from the time I spent with him at St Mirren, which you're going back eight, nine years - his link-up play has improved year on year.

"And when you watch Hearts play, he's involved in an awful lot of the build-up and link-up. He's not just a penalty box striker, he can do that as well.

"He doesn't have the physicality or the presence of Lyndon Dykes, which in a game against a team like Germany, we're 100% going to miss."

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Liam Cooper says Scotland players cannot think about potential injuries in the lead-up to this summer's Euros.

Striker Lyndon Dykes became the latest Scotland player to be ruled out of the competition after picking up an injury in training last week, but Cooper insists that any drop in intensity would only create further risk.

"I think players are always conscious [of injuries], but I don't think you can let that set in too much," the Leeds United defender said.

"We're training at such a high intensity and we've got to drive that intensity and those standards from within.

"I'm a big believer you've got to train how you play to get the best of yourself and we certainly need to do that.

"If you start thinking about injuries and maybe not going into second duels I think you put yourself at more of a risk."

Liam McLeod and Steven Thompson are in Faro to preview Scotland’s friendly with Gibraltar – their penultimate game before heading to the Euros.

They discuss the options available to replace the injured Lyndon Dykes and hear the latest from inside the camp from Steve Clarke and Liam Cooper.

There’s also an appearance from Scottish coach Davie Wilson, who managed Gibraltar against Scotland at Hampden, and fills us in on what we can expect from the home side.

Listen to the full episode of the podcast here.

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke reacts to forward Lyndon Dykes being ruled out of the Euro 2024 finals.

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Scott McTominay, Stuart Armstrong and John Souttar will play no part in Scotland’s friendly with Gibraltar on Monday, head coach Steve Clarke has confirmed.

Manchester United midfielder McTominay was brought off with an issue just 25 minutes after coming on as a substitute in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City last weekend.

Southampton's Armstrong has not played since being stretched off last month and centre-back Souttar missed Rangers' final three games of the season.

Clarke is "pretty confident" the trio will be able feature in Friday's friendly with Finland at Hampden.

The update comes in the wake of the news striker Lyndon Dykes will miss Euro 2024 with an ankle injury sustained on the training pitch.

Right-wing backs Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson suffered hamstring injuries earlier in the season and failed to make the 28-man provisional squad, which includes a number players who have struggled for game time in recent months.

"The ones that need minutes will get minutes," Clarke said of his plan for Monday's warm-up game.

"[The match] gives us a chance to give minutes on the pitch for some players, maybe a slightly unfamiliar line-up in terms of people starting the game.

"Not injury doubts, but we’ve still got one or two coming back from long-term injuries so we're being careful to manage minutes. It’s a balancing act to get a good performance and result.

"Maybe some didn't get the minutes they wanted at the end of he club season, so hopefully we can give them some that gets them up to speed for the tournament."

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Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has been talking to the media prior to Monday's Euro 2024 warm-up friendly with Gibraltar.

Here are the key lines:

• Clarke says the squad are "all really disappointed" for Lyndon Dykes, who will miss Euro 2024 with a training ground injury.

• Dykes "has been a pivotal player" for Scotland, Clarke adds.

• The head coach says the phone call to offer Dykes the chance to play for Scotland was "one of the best telephone conversations I've ever had".

• Clarke confirms Dykes suffered a non-contact ankle injury caused by "the way he landed".

• On a potential replacement, Clarke says: "I’ve given myself two or three days to think about it. There’s no like-for-like replacement for Lyndon. I’ll have a look at what’s around and we’ll go from there."

• On the prospect of calling up someone from the Under-21s, he adds: "Possibly but not necessarily".

• The Scotland boss confirms Scott McTominay, Stuart Armstrong and John Souttar will not play against Gibraltar on Monday, but says he is "pretty confident they will be good" for the Finland friendly on Friday.

• Clarke will provide game time to "the ones that need minutes" on Monday, which could perhaps mean "a slightly unfamiliar line-up".

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Celtic's Antony Ralston is the answer to Steve Clarke's right-wing back dilemma, says former Scotland midfielder Peter Grant.

After injuries to both Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson, it appears Ralston and uncapped Ross McCrorie are fighting it out for the spot on right side of the backline.

Despite limited starts at Celtic this season, playing second choice to Alistair Johnston, Grant feels Ralston has shown enough at both club level and in his eight international caps to start the Euro 2024 opener against Germany.

"I like McCrorie, he can play numerous positions," ex-Scotland coach Grant said on Sunday's Sportsound. "But I look at Ralston, he’s played in big games for Celtic, he’s never let them down.

"If you play with wing-backs, you've got to put crosses in the box. He does that very well. He'll deliver the ball. If you have someone like Lawrence Shankland up front, he will live off that.

"If you're dropping into your back five, he gives you that aggressiveness in one-on-one situations. He’s quick enough, strong enough and defends his back post well."

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In the wake of the news Lyndon Dykes will miss Euro 2024 with a devastating training ground injury, attention has turned quickly to who could replace the Scotland striker in Steve Clarke's squad.

Tommy Conway? Ross Stewart? What about Ryan Hardie? Or is simply not replacing the Queens Park Rangers forward an option?

BBC Scotland pundit Rory Loy believes so.

Prior to Dykes' injury, Clarke was required to cut down his provisional 28-man squad by two for the Euros.

With the striker now ruled out, that would mean only one more player has to be removed by 8 June - and Loy feels that could be a factor.

"There are options, but I wouldn’t bring anyone in,” the former Scotland youth international said on Sunday's Off the Ball.

"Okay, you would have to take a risk with Che Adams and wrap him in up in cotton wool, but he does a similar job to Dykes.

"I think if you’re cutting one from the squad with Dykes now out, with James Forrest in there, Ryan Christie in there and with how strong our midfield is, I don’t know if I would be going out and getting a Conway, Stewart, Hardie or even a Ryan Fraser."