Steve Clarke recalls Craig Gordon but admits longer-term Scotland keeper worries

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke seized the chance to get the experience of Craig Gordon back in his squad but has admitted longer-term concerns over his goalkeepers’ lack of action.

Gordon has replaced Hearts team-mate Zander Clark for October’s Hampden double-header against Greece and Belarus in the World Cup qualifiers despite not playing since May 3.

The 42-year-old missed Scotland’s June friendlies and opening World Cup qualifiers because of a slipped disc in his neck.

The goalkeeper was back in full training earlier in September but was not considered for Hearts’ squad on Saturday after picking up a minor hamstring issue.

However, Clark has dropped out after recently losing his place in the Hearts team to new German recruit Alexander Schwolow, and it is 81-times capped Gordon who joins Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly in the squad.

Clarke said: “I’ve spoken to the people I need to speak to about Craig, they’re telling me he’s fully fit. He’s the most experienced in terms of caps that I’ve got, so it just felt like the right thing to bring him back to the squad.

“It’s obviously very important that you trust your players and it’s important that the players trust me. I think I’ve got a good relationship with all my players, but Craig in particular.”

Gordon played six games in the Nations League last season before Gunn kept two clean sheets as Scotland opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with four points from away games against Denmark and Belarus.

But the former Norwich player is yet to make his Nottingham Forest debut and Kelly has only played once for Rangers this season, against Alloa.

Scotland’s dearth of goalkeeping options came to a head in June when Gunn went off injured early on against Iceland and Cieran Slicker came on for a difficult debut. Ross Doohan, who was in between roles as Aberdeen second-choice keeper and Celtic’s number three, then played against Liechtenstein.

The lack of game time for Scotland’s goalkeepers is something that is on Clarke’s mind.

“I think with the goalkeepers it’s probably still a bit of an issue, but it’s less than three weeks since the last camp, so not such a big issue in the September, October, November camps,” he said.

“I think the issue comes between November and March. Obviously in that time there is a transfer window and you never know what’s going to happen.”

Clarke described his selection as “relatively straightforward” after the one change in the goalkeeper department and the omission of Derby right-back Max Johnston and Wrexham defender Dom Hyam, who have both featured regularly for their clubs.

Johnston started in Scotland’s 2-0 win over Belarus but Clarke cut his squad from 25 to 23 players and included Anthony Ralston and Kieran Tierney, who dropped out of the previous squad with injury.

“Two away games last time, so I felt it was better to take a slightly larger squad away,” Clarke said. “Because if you need to call players up to your squad when you’ve travelled away, it’s a little bit more difficult. Two home games this time, it’s easy to call boys up as and when required.”

Scotland squad for World Cup qualifiers against Greece (October 9) and Belarus (October 12) at Hampden: Gordon (Hearts), Gunn (Nottm Forest), Kelly (Rangers); Hanley (Hibernian), Hendry (Al-Etiffaq), Hickey (Brentford), McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Robertson (Liverpool), Souttar (Rangers), Ralston, Tierney (both Celtic); Christie, Gannon-Doak (both Bournemouth), Ferguson (Bologna), Gilmour, McTominay (both Napoli), McGinn (Aston Villa), McLean (Norwich), Miller (Udinese); Adams (Torino), Bowie (Hibernian), Dykes (Birmingham), Hirst (Ipswich).