Ben Doak, James Forrest and Ross McCrorie have been named in Scotland’s provisional 28-player squad for Euro 2024, with Craig Gordon, Ryan Jack and Anthony Ralston also included.
With injuries impacting preparations, boss Steve Clarke has named an extended squad which will be cut to 26 players by 11pm on June 7, the same day as Scotland’s final warm-up match – against Finland.
Gordon’s return to action from a double leg break suffered in December 2022 has seen the 41-year-old earn a spot as one of four goalkeepers – alongside Hearts team-mate Zander Clark, No 1 Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly – although only three may travel to Germany.
With Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson out due to hamstring injuries, Bristol City’s uncapped McCrorie and Celtic’s Ralston will battle it out for the right-back spot.
Joining the duo in defence are Norwich’s Grant Hanley and Scott McKenna of Copenhagen who return from injury alongside Liam Cooper, Jack Hendry, Ryan Porteous, captain Andy Robertson, John Souttar, Greg Taylor and Kieran Tierney.
With Lewis Ferguson missing in midfield due to an ACL injury – Jack is in despite not playing for Rangers since March – with Celtic’s Scottish Premiership-winning captain Callum McGregor, Aston Villa skipper John McGinn and Manchester United’s Scott McTominay also included.
Stuart Armstrong, Ryan Christie, Billy Gilmour and Kenny McLean make up Clarke’s midfield options.
Liverpool’s Doak – who has never featured in a senior squad – will be given his chance to impress over the coming weeks.
Celtic’s James Forrest has not featured for the national team since 2021 but returns to the group having ended the season in great form with his club, scoring five goals in eight games and could provide a different option offensively – or even slot in a right wing-back role.
Striker Lawrence Shankland – who scored 31 goals in all competitions with Hearts and finished top goalscorer in the Scottish Premiership with 21 – is rewarded with a spot in the squad.
He’ll face competition from Southampton’s Che Adams who is recovering from a calf injury and Queens Park Rangers’ Lyndon Dykes.
Robertson: Scotland must create history
Captain Andy Robertson has told Sky Sports News the squad must target creating history in Germany by becoming the first Scotland team to reach the knockout stages of a major finals.
He said: “Our aim is to be the team that creates history – we have to aim to get out the group.
“We look at the group and it’s a tough group, it’s a competitive group. But we believe that we can give any team a game and if we do that and we manage to get out the group then we’re the first Scotland team to ever do that.
“We’ve been trying to create our own history, we’ve been trying to create our own story within a nation that have had a lot of good teams in the past, a lot of legends of the game.
“We are trying to create a small part of history and we’ve managed to do that with the two tournaments [reaching Euro 2020 and Euro 2024] but to be able to qualify from the group would be a massive step and it would excel us even further and give us even more belief than we’ve already got.”
‘The right opportunity’ – Clarke on Doak & McCrorie picks
Scotland head coach Clarke said: “Ben [Doak] has got a lot of talent. He catches your eye. His pace is something we haven’t got in abundance.
“He’s a young man, I’ve never had the chance to work with him. It feels like the right thing to do with the squad going from 23 to 26.
“I lost my two first-choice right backs or right wing-backs in Aaron [Hickey] and Nathan [Patterson]. Looking down, Ross had a difficult time when he first went to Bristol City with quite a serious problem.
“He got back in the team in the second half of the season and acquitted himself well. He’s been in squads before but never had a cap, so it is a chance to see Ross and how he’s doing.”
‘Forrest & Jack experience key’
On his inclusion of Rangers’ Jack who has been injured for large spells of this season, plus Forrest who had an impressive end to the season at Celtic, Clarke added: “Ryan Jack has been an important part of the squad as my time as coach and missed the last Euros with injury.
“He hasn’t had the best finish to the season but he’s been fit for the last two or three weeks but hasn’t been selected. He deserves to be there, he’s a different type of midfielder to what I’ve got so that was the thinking.
“James Forrest, where do you start? If ever there is an example to young players where things aren’t going well at your club, then I think James epitomises that. Trains well, works well and you never know, your head coach will pick you for your country again.
“He brings experience, he was part of the last Euros squad.”
Who will lead the line for Clarke’s side?
Shankland’s form has seen him seal a spot in Clarke’s provisional squad – but Kris Boyd believes the Hearts striker, who has 31 goals this season, will not start in Germany.
He said: “Shankland has had a great season and scored different type of goals. He’s Hearts talisman and captain and led by example. That extra responsibility – it has improved him.
“He’s scored goals wherever he has been. He looks in a good and happy place, scoring regularly.
“Everybody expects him to go to Germany and start, I’m not sure that is the case. Che Adams is still the No 1, and don’t forget what Lyndon Dykes has done in a Scotland shirt.
“Steve Clarke has got a good mixture.”
McAllister: Scotland’s midfield key to progression
Former Scotland international Gary McAllister believes Clarke’s midfield hold the key to the team’s chances if they are to reach the knockouts.
He told Sky Sports News: “First and foremost, Steve Clarke has done brilliantly to get us to two Euros on the bounce.
“I know we’re playing in the opening game against the hosts. They’ve got some fantastic players but their results in the last couple of years have not been great.
“Can we go there and provide an upset? Possibly but it’s the other two games where I think we can get results, so I’m really confident.
“Over the years we’ve always gone into tournaments thinking ‘can we get out of the group stages?’ and I think this time round it represents a great chance. Purely because my eyes are always drawn to the middle of the park and that’s where we’re really strong.
“We’ve got [John] McGinn, [Scott] McTominay, [Callum] McGregor, Billy Gilmour and [Kenny] McLean – guys that are playing at a proper level and they’re experienced as well now.
“That group of five or six players in the middle of the park can get us through.”
Key dates ahead for Scotland
Monday June 3: Euro 2024 warm-up, Gibraltar vs Scotland at Estadio Algarve, Portugal; kick-off 5pm
Friday June 7: Euro 2024 warm-up, Scotland vs Finland at Hampden Park, Glasgow; kick-off 7.45pm
Friday June 7 – Final 26-man squad submitted to UEFA by 11pm
Saturday June 8 – Final 26-player squad announced
Sunday June 9 – Scotland squad fly to base camp in the Bavarian resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Scotland’s Euro 2024 schedule
Scotland have history kicking off tournaments, having been drawn to face Brazil in the opener at World Cup 1998, a game they narrowly lost 2-1 to a second-half Tom Boyd own goal.
This time around the venue is the Munich Football Arena (Allianz Arena) where Steve Clarke’s kick-off the opening match of Euro 2024 against hosts Germany on June 14.
The Scots also face games against perennial qualifiers Switzerland in Cologne on June 19, with Hungary – who reached the knockouts in 2016 – awaiting in Stuttgart on June 23.
If Scotland finish as one of four best third-placed teams…
One of:
Sunday June 30 – Group B winners vs third-placed side from Group A/D/E/F (RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne)
Monday July 1 – Group F winners vs third-placed side from Group A/B/C (Waldstadion, Frankfurt)
Tuesday July 2: Group E winners vs third-placed side Group A/B/C/D (Allianz Arena, Munich)Quarter-finals
If Scotland finish first in Group A and win round of 16 game…
Friday July 5 (MHPArena, Stuttgart)
If Scotland finish second in Group A and win round of 16 game…
Saturday July 6 (Merkur Spiel-Arena, Dusseldorf)
If Scotland finish as one of four best third-placed teams and win round of 16 game…
One of:
Friday July 5 (MHPArena, Stuttgart)
Friday July 5 (Volksparkstadion, Hamburg)
Saturday July 6 – (Olympiastadion, Berlin)
Semi-finals
If Scotland finish first in Group A, win round of 16 game and win quarter-final…
Tuesday July 9 – kick-off 8pm (Allianz Arena, Munich)
If England finish second in Group A, win round of 16 game and win quarter-final…
Wednesday July 10 – kick-off 8pm (Westfalenstadion, Dortmund)
If Scotland finish as one of four best third-placed teams, win round of 16 game and win quarter-final…
One of:
Tuesday July 9 – kick-off 8pm (Allianz Arena, Munich)
Wednesday July 10 – kick-off 8pm (Westfalenstadion, Dortmund)
And finally, the final…
Sunday July 14 – kick-off 8pm (Olympiastadion, Berlin)
