Scotland manager Steve Clarke is considering “all options” after losing “pivotal” striker Lyndon Dykes to injury.
Dykes was taken off on a stretcher during training on Friday and has since been ruled out of Euro 2024, less than two weeks before Scotland open the tournament against hosts Germany on June 14.
The QPR striker has scored nine goals in 36 international appearances and has often been at the heart of Clarke's attack.
Frustration leaves Scotland. che adams and Lawrence Shankland The centre-forward is a recognized center forward in a squad of 27 that will have to be reduced to 26 after the final warm-up game against Finland on Friday night.
Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes played in most Scotland matches.
“I’ve given myself two or three days to think about it,” Clarke said at his pre-match press conference in Portugal ahead of Monday’s friendly match against Gibraltar.
“There is no comparable replacement for Lyndon because he has his own qualities. I don't believe in the same thing. Lyndon brings his qualities, and obviously we didn't get that.
“We will look at the situation a bit and decide what to do with the squad and go from there.”
Asked if he would call up another striker, Clarke said: “I'm thinking about that.”
'Dykes was a pivotal player'
Dykes appeared in all eight of Scotland's qualifiers, starting five and scoring one goal.
Clarke added: “We are all really disappointed in Lyndon.” “Boys who have had injuries before get a little more time to get over it and Lyndon’s is right there in the last minute before we go to the tournament.
Dykes scored nine goals in 36 international appearances and was often at the heart of Scotland's attack.
“And he was a good player and a pivotal player for us. One of the best phone conversations I ever had was when I called him and gave him the option to play for Scotland rather than Australia and thankfully he chose us.”
“It was four years ago, and I think the national team’s path since then has been mostly on the rise.
“(I) appreciate the work he has done so far, and while I am sad to miss this tournament, I look forward to working with him again in the future.
“It was an ankle injury. There was no contact. The way he landed and the way he fell was the same. Unfortunately, that's what happened. Earlier in the session, Linden did a similar move and nothing happened. It just happened.”
“As coaches, managers and players, you have to be resilient and realize that things will move forward. That’s what we’ve done.”
Steve Clarke has formed a provisional 27-man squad.
Clarke previously hinted he would look at the Scotland U21s. Team if late convening is necessary.
Things like that happen, too tommy conway The Bristol City forward is in pole position given he is with Scot Gemmill's group ahead of Monday's friendly in Turkey. The 21-year-old scored 12 goals for the Sky Bet Championship side last season.
liverpool winger ben dock He played as a centre-forward for Scotland's Under-21s, but the 18-year-old's spell with the club ended with a knee injury in December, from which he is still recovering.
Clarke is also mulling over other scenarios.
“Maybe, not necessarily, but that’s what I’d do,” he said. “It’s something we always think about.
“We love linking up with young teams in Scotland and I want to show that there is a path from the U21s to the A team.
“But obviously you have to consider all options and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Scott McTominay will not play for Scotland against Gibraltar.
meantime, Stuart Armstrong, Scott McTominay and John Souta There is no feature about Scotland on Monday night.
Manchester United midfielder McTominay was sent off 25 minutes after coming on as a substitute in last weekend's FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
Southampton's Armstrong has not played since missing last month, while centre-back Soutar has missed Rangers' final three games of the season.
Manager Clarke said: “Stuart Armstrong, Scott McTominay and John Souttar will not play this game but I am sure they will all be good for the next game.
“For me, it’s an opportunity to get some minutes on the pitch for some of the guys, and maybe a slightly unfamiliar line-up in terms of the guys starting the game.
“We still have one or two guys coming back from long-term injuries, so we’re being careful about time management.
“It’s a bit of a balancing act to make sure we get good performance and good results.
“Some of them may not have gotten the time they wanted until the end of their club season, so hopefully we can give them some time to get them up to speed on the tournament itself.”
Greg Taylor and Scott McKenna After an extra break, I joined the team.
Scotland warm-up match
Monday June 3rd: Gibraltar vs Scotland
Friday, June 7th: Scotland vs Finland
Scotland's Euro 2024 group stage matches
Friday 14 June – Group A: Germany vs Scotland (Munich Allianz Arena)
Wednesday 19 June – Group A: Scotland vs Switzerland (RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne)
Sunday 23 June – Group A: Scotland vs Hungary (MHP Arena, Stuttgart)
The four best-performing teams, including the top two and third-place teams in each group, advance.
