Scotland manager Steve Clarke faces one of the most consequential selection decisions in the nation’s football history ahead of Sunday’s World Cup opener against Haiti in Boston.
The match kicks off at 02:00 BST at Boston Stadium, representing the biggest occasion for Scottish football in almost three decades, with enormous pressure on winning the first game.
Clarke is widely expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, a system he rarely uses but one that delivered a convincing 4-0 warm-up victory over Bolivia last week.
The complication is that the Bolivia win came with John McGinn on the bench, raising serious questions about whether Clarke might again leave the Aston Villa captain out of his starting eleven.
Scott McTominay’s fitness had also been a major concern after the Napoli midfielder suffered a stomach bug earlier in the week and travelled separately from the squad to their hotel with a doctor as a precaution.
However, Clarke offered significant reassurance on Friday, describing McTominay as “perfect” and “ready to go” after the midfielder returned to training, suggesting he will almost certainly start.
Captain Andy Robertson lightened the mood by joking his team-mate was simply seeking attention, though McTominay commands plenty of that, with his image painted onto a building in the shadows of Hampden Park.
Clarke acknowledged the player’s importance while stressing collective responsibility, saying “We are delighted with Scott’s abilities and what he can bring to the team,” before adding: “But we are going to need another 15 to bring the same if we want to have a positive tournament.”
McGinn’s potential absence would be a remarkable call given that the Villa skipper has scored 20 goals in 86 caps, placing him fifth on Scotland’s all-time scoring list, while also contributing 10 assists throughout his international career.
Former Scotland forward James McFadden acknowledged the dilemma, saying: “It’s amazing to think there could be a Scotland team without John McGinn in it,” though he added he would not put such a decision past Clarke.
McFadden elaborated on his thinking, saying: “I would expect him to come in. I just hope it is unfortunately one of the midfielders that miss out and not one of the strikers,” highlighting the attacking options Clarke must balance.
He also pointed out that being absent from game one would not diminish McGinn’s potential tournament impact, noting a player of his quality would still have a massive role to play in subsequent fixtures.
Former Scotland midfielder Leanne Crichton suggested Clarke could afford to hold McGinn back, saying: “I don’t think we need to start John in the first game if I’m being honest,” citing concerns about fatigue after a gruelling 53-game club season.
Crichton reflected on previous tournament experiences, adding: “I felt he was tired at that tournament,” in reference to the Euros, while pointing to McGinn’s lengthy European campaign with Villa and an injury earlier in the season.
Should McGinn feature, one alternative is deploying him in a wide midfield role rather than the central areas, a position he has filled effectively for Scotland on previous occasions.
Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann, a former Scotland winger himself, offered his own preference on where McGinn could be most effective, saying: “I like McGinn better off the right. I like him coming on his left side and it opens up an overlap.”
McCann added nuance to the debate, questioning the left-versus-right dynamic and emphasising the importance of an outball against Haiti, a side built on speed and physical power.
The midfield combination of McTominay, Lewis Ferguson, Ben Gannon-Doak and Ryan Christie performed impressively against Bolivia, particularly in the first half, giving Clarke every reason to be cautious about breaking up a unit that already showed real chemistry.
Scotland have three group games to navigate, and while there is no margin for error mentality creeping in just yet, beginning with a positive result against Haiti would set the tone for the entire campaign.
