Uncapped Zander Clark and Angus Gunn have been included in Scotland’s squad for this month’s opening Euro 2024 qualifiers against Cyprus and Spain.The Scots host Cyprus on 25 March then Spain on 28 March.
First choice goalkeeper Craig Gordon is injured long term and Clark has taken Gordon’s place at Hearts. Norwich stopper Gunn committed his international future to Scotland after being capped by England Under-21s.
Scotland Football Tickets
Saturday Mar 25, Scotland v Cyprus- Buy Scotland Tickets
Tuesday Mar 28, Scotland v Spain – Buy Scotland Tickets
Scotland manager Steve Clarke heard of the younger Gunn’s interest in representing Scotland “through a third party” before meeting him at Norwich.
“He’s part of the squad and a very welcome part of the squad too,” Clarke said.
“We’ve lost Craig Gordon injured, which is a massive blow to us. Craig was the undisputed number one. I just felt that if we could improve the pool of goalkeepers, that’s what we should do.”
In additional squad news, Queens Park Rangers striker Lyndon Dykes makes the squad after a recent spell in hospital with illness. However, Hearts forward Lawrence Shankland, who has scored 21 goals this season, misses out, having also been absent from his club’s past two games while injured Nottingham Forest defender Scott McKenna is not included.
Defenders Liam Cooper, Nathan Patterson and Kieran Tiernan are selected, despite limited game time at Leeds, Everton and Arsenal, respectively.
Similarly, midfielders Stuart Armstrong, Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay and forward Ryan Christie are called up after infrequent Premier League appearances of late.
“If you look over the course of the season, most of the boys have had a lot of minutes,” Clarke said.
“There’s one or two in the squad that maybe I’ve been a little bit loyal to, to bring them in and keep them involved in it. I think that’s important because the ones that I’m speaking about will be a big part of the Scotland squad moving forward, I hope.”
Celtic captain Callum McGregor returns to the squad after missing the November friendly defeat by Turkey due to injury while defenders Cooper and Aaron Hickey are also back. However, right-back Calvin Ramsay does not feature after making his senior international debut in Diyarbakir.
Scotland squad
Goalkeepers: Zander Clark, Angus Gunn, Liam Kelly
Defenders: Liam Cooper, Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson, Ryan Porteous, Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney
Midfielders: Stuart Armstrong, Lewis Ferguson, Billy Gilmour, Ryan Jack, John McGinn, Callum McGregor, Kenny McLean, Scott McTominay
Forwards: Che Adams, Jacob Brown, Ryan Christie, Lyndon Dykes
Scotland Football Tickets
Saturday Mar 25, Scotland v Cyprus- Buy Scotland Tickets
Tuesday Mar 28, Scotland v Spain – Buy Scotland Tickets
Saturday Jun 17 2023 Norway v Scotland – Buy Scotland Tickets
Tuesday Jun 20 Scotland v Georgia – Buy Scotland Tickets
Friday Sep 8, Cyprus v Scotland – Buy Scotland Tickets
Tuesday Sep 12 Scotland v England – Buy Scotland Tickets
Thursday Oct 12 Spain v Scotland – Buy Scotland Tickets
Thursday Nov 16 Georgia v Scotland – Buy Scotland Tickets
Sunday Nov 19 Scotland v Norway – Buy Scotland Tickets
