Scotland squad: Scott McTominay and Callum McGregor selected for World Cup qualifiers
Scott McTominay returns for Scotland's upcoming World Cup qualifiers; injured Celtic captain Callum McGregor included in 24-man squad for games against Israel and Faroe Islands; Steve Clarke's side are second in Group F; watch Scotland vs Israel live on Sky Sports on Saturday, October 9
Tuesday 28 September 2021 17:12, UK
Steve Clarke has named midfielders Scott McTominay and Callum McGregor in his 24-man squad for Scotland's upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
McTominay missed the previous triple-header due to a groin injury but has since returned for Manchester United, featuring against West Ham and Aston Villa.
Celtic captain McGregor is also included for the matches against Israel and Faroe Islands - despite missing the last four matches for his club due to injury.
Southampton's Stuart Armstrong - who is yet to play a competitive match this season due to a calf injury - has also been picked by Clarke, who said he has no reservations about his selections.
Clarke said: "When you name a squad, there are still 11 days until match day so plenty of time, [and there are] a couple of games.
"Callum is in that situation, Stuart Armstrong is in a similar situation but I am hoping that they will both get some minutes over the next couple of games and be fit and available to join the squad.
"The medical staff have been in constant touch. We know where the players are at, and, as always, we will treat them as well as we can."
Injured Celtic duo James Forrest and Greg Taylor drop out of the squad that recorded wins over Moldova and Austria earlier in September, as do Aberdeen defender Declan Gallagher and St Johnstone goalkeeper Zander Clark - the latter being replaced by Rangers' Jon McLaughlin.
Scotland take on Israel at a sold-out Hampden Park on October 9 before a trip to the Faroe Islands three days later, with both matches live on Sky Sports.
Victory in the double-header - followed by a win in Moldova in November - will be enough for Scotland to seal a play-off spot, with Denmark on course to finish top of Group F.
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Scotland squad:
Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon (Hearts), Jon McLaughlin (Rangers), Liam Kelly (Motherwell).
Defenders: Stephen O'Donnell (Motherwell), Nathan Patterson (Rangers), Jack Hendry (Club Brugge), Grant Hanley (Norwich City), Scott McKenna (Nottingham Forest), Liam Cooper (Leeds United), Kieran Tierney (Arsenal), Andy Robertson (Liverpool).
Midfielders: Billy Gilmour (Norwich City, on loan from Chelsea), Kenny McLean (Norwich City), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Stuart Armstrong (Southampton), David Turnbull (Celtic), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen), Scott McTominay (Manchester United).
Strikers: Lyndon Dykes (Queens Park Rangers), Che Adams (Southampton), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Ryan Fraser (Newcastle), Kevin Nisbet (Hibernian).
