Craig Levein expects to have fully fit squad for Cyprus friendly
Craig Levein is expecting to field a strong Scotland team. Picture: SNS
SCOTLAND manager Craig Levein expects to have a full squad to choose from for tomorrow night’s friendly in Cyprus, despite training without several players in recent days.
Captain Darren Fletcher and full-back Phil Bardsley will undergo their first full session of the week today after minor knocks and strains, while striker David Goodwillie will rejoin the group after illness.
Levein, speaking at the squad’s hotel in Limassol, said: “Bardsley and Fletcher have both done little bits without doing a full training session so they will both train today.
“But they are fine, both will be ready to play tomorrow, it was more of a precaution than anything else.
“They have been working with the physios and they are happy for them to do a full training session.
“David Goodwillie had a stomach bug which has floored him a little bit the last couple of days.
“He is feeling better today. We will need to see how he is before tomorrow.”
Levein hopes to hand debuts to Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks and Huddersfield striker Jordan Rhodes, but he will first see how the game pans out.
“I plan to (play Rhodes) at some point but we’ll see,” Levein said.
“I can’t promise anything. We have in the past had plans going into these games then you get two or three injuries early on and that goes out the window.”
On Gilks, he added: “That’s another thing that I’ve thought about and spoken to (goalkeeping coach) Jim Stewart about but I don’t think he’ll start the match.
“He hasn’t had any game time yet, Matt, opportunities where he might have played he has had injuries.
“I can’t promise anything but I would like, if I can, to give him some time on the field.”
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Monday 20 May 2013
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