Scott McTominay was back on the training pitch on Friday, and Scotland now expect him to be available for their World Cup opener against Haiti. Steve Clarke said the midfielder is "perfect" and "ready to go" after missing earlier sessions this week with a stomach bug.
That matters because Scotland kick off against Haiti at Boston Stadium on Sunday at 02:00 BST, with Clarke facing an early selection call in midfield. He has been weighing whether to use both McTominay and John McGinn together, a decision that could shape Scotland's opening shape and rhythm from the first whistle.
McTominay's return closes a brief but awkward spell in the buildup. He had been absent from training earlier in the week and travelled separately with a doctor as a precaution, a sign that the issue was treated carefully even before Clarke publicly played it down. Scotland had started to sound the alarm in the background too, after team members arrived at their hotel on Thursday without him, before he reappeared a day later.
Clarke has said Scotland are likely to line up in a 4-4-2 against Haiti, a system he has rarely used but one that worked in the 4-0 warm-up win over Bolivia last week. McGinn began that match on the bench, which leaves Clarke with a choice that goes beyond one player's fitness and into how much he wants to trust a shape that has not been his habit.
The manager has also made clear how much he expects from his squad beyond the headline names. He said Scotland are going to need another 15 to bring the same if they want to have a positive tournament, a blunt reminder that the opener is only the start of a three-game group campaign and that the pressure to beat Haiti is immediate.
For Scotland, the immediate question is no longer whether McTominay can play. It is whether Clarke pairs him with McGinn from the start, or holds one back and asks the rest of the side to carry the opening load against a Haiti team that arrives with the benefit of being the first test.
