Steve Clarke is preparing to name the first men’s Scotland XI to feature at a World Cup in 28 years as he shapes the side to face Haiti in Boston. The match is Scotland’s opening game, and the line-up will carry the weight of a rare return to football’s biggest stage.
That is why supporters are searching now: the team selection matters before a ball is kicked. Scotland arrive after back-to-back four-goal wins in warm-up matches against Curacao and Bolivia, and Clarke has already settled on a front-footed 4-4-2 that has been used through the two preparation games.
Lawrence Shankland and Che Adams are expected to lead the line, while captain Andy Robertson and Aaron Hickey appear certain to start at full-back. Ben Gannon-Doak is also expected to be used as a winger, with Angus Gunn assumed to remain first choice in goal after playing the full 90 minutes against Bolivia.
Former Scotland striker Kenny Miller said he would be “very surprised” if Clarke moved away from the shape he has used in those two preparation games. He said it “makes sense” because the manager has looked at “a couple of different combinations” within it, and he added that the performance on Saturday, when Shankland and Adams both scored against Bolivia, would make him very surprised if it was not those two up front.
There is still one wrinkle. Scott McTominay is expected to start in midfield only if tummy trouble permits, while Scott McKenna is out with a calf issue. John Souttar, Grant Hanley and Jack Hendry all saw minutes in the two friendlies, giving Clarke options as he finalises the line-up for a match that will be Scotland’s first men’s World Cup starting XI in 28 years.
In 1998, Clarke was calling time on his playing career and beginning a coaching role at Newcastle under Ruud Gullit; now he is the man tasked with picking Scotland’s return to the World Cup stage. The final XI will tell the story of how boldly he wants to begin that campaign against Haiti.
The game is due to be shown on iPlayer, Sounds and the Sport website and app.
