Scott McTominay sat out Scotland training on Thursday with a stomach complaint, but the team remain confident he will be fit to face Haiti on Saturday. The concern surfaced just as Scotland moved into the final stretch before their World Cup opener in Boston, where the squad are set for their first match at the tournament in 28 years.
Kenny McLean played down the scare, saying the camp had its fingers crossed that McTominay would be fine and adding that the issue was being handled as a precaution. McLean said the midfielder was desperate to play and that his preparations had been excellent apart from something he may have eaten along the way. That matters because McTominay is viewed as Scotland's most influential player, the one whose form can tilt the balance in a match where margins are likely to be thin.
Steve Clarke put his players through their final session in North Carolina before travelling to Boston, and McTominay's absence was the clearest sign that Scotland were protecting one of their biggest assets rather than dealing with a fresh injury setback. He had been central to Sunday's 4-0 win over Bolivia in the final warm-up match, when he turned in an excellent midfield display, and the team had every reason to want him available again after a performance like that. A stomach complaint is a nuisance at the worst possible moment, but inside the camp the message is that it is not expected to keep him out.
The next check comes on Friday, when Clarke is due to face the media and offer a fuller read on McTominay as well as any other players carrying knocks. Scotland are also managing Scott McKenna's minutes after a knock, while Jack Hendry and Grant Hanley are the likeliest pair to start in central defence against Haiti. For McTominay, the question now is not whether Scotland need him, but whether the final call on Saturday simply confirms what the camp already believes: that he will be out there when the match begins.
