Steve Clarke to name Scotland squad for Nations League double-header

Steve Clarke is to name his latest Scotland squad on Tuesday ahead of the next double-header in the Nations League campaign.

The national team face Croatia in Zagreb on October 12 before welcoming Portugal to Hampden three days later and Clarke is hoping for positive results to lift Scotland off the bottom of Group A1.

With key games ahead, the manager has tough decisions to make when he finalises his squad and Clarke has issues to deal with as he makes his selection.

Kieran Tierney, Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson remain on the sidelines with injury and they have now been joined by Scott McKenna, who has missed recent games for Las Palmas with a hamstring injury.

A similar problem has ruled John McGinn out of Aston Villa’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich this week and it looks like the influential midfielder is set to miss international duty as well.

Ahead of the first two Nations League matches the manager had sought to freshen up his squad with the inclusion of Ryan Gauld. Ben Doak was called up after injury had forced him to miss the Euros, while the addition of Max Johnston and Robby McCrorie had helped give the group a new look. All four have a good chance of retaining their place while another couple of new faces might be named on Tuesday.

It’s been reported that Liam Lindsay is in the reckoning for a first call-up, with the centre-back now at English Championship side Preston North End, seven years after he left Partick Thistle.

There are also suggestions that Motherwell’s teenage sensation Lennon Miller could be drafted in after an impressive start to the season.

Those names will join a familiar list of players who impressed last year with a run of qualifying wins that culminated in securing qualification for a second consecutive European Championships. Since then, results have been poor and Clarke is in dire need of a morale-boosting win to show that the team can regain an upward trajectory.

This month marks a year since Spain’s win over Norway sealed Scotland’s place at the Euros. Since then, the national team have played 12 games, with a miserable and dispiriting three games at the finals in Germany taking the headlines and a 2-0 friendly win over Gibraltar the only victory.

Scott McTominay has scored in each of Scotland's two Nations League games so far. — Scott McTominay has scored in each of Scotland’s two Nations League games so far. SNS Group

Promotion to the top tier of the Nations League always meant that this season’s matches in the competition would pose a tough challenge but Clarke has insisted that playing against the best teams is essential for the development of his side.

Last month’s opening games delivered that opportunity but instead saw Scotland endure difficult defeats again.

Starting at home to Poland, Scotland were caught cold as Sebastian Szymanski’s long-range strike and Robert Lewandowski’s penalty gave the a two-goal lead by half-time.

A second-half fightback and goals from Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay drew Scotland level but a rash challenge from Grant Hanley on Nicola Zalewski saw Poland handed a 97th penalty that they scored to inflict another bitter defeat on Clarke’s side.

The odds were stacked against the team as they headed to Lisbon to face a star-studded Portugal side but again McTominay proved a talismanic figure and he put Scotland ahead after seven minutes.

Hopes of a rousing victory faded in the second half when Bruno Fernandes equalised and then Cristiano Ronaldo netted an 88th minute winner, extending Scotland’s winless run to six games.

Now, Clarke and his players contemplate another test with a first match against a Croatia side that itself bowed out of the Euros at the group stage, and also endured a 2-1 defeat in Portugal last month.

Zlatko Dalic’s side did reverse their run with a 1-0 home win over Poland and will be hoping to add to that when they face Scotland a week on Saturday.

Clarke remains confident he is the man to take Scotland forward and Tuesday’s squad selection will be the first step in his plan to improve results, lift morale and take the team a step forward to climbing the Nations League group table and looking ahead to the World Cup 2026 qualifiers.