International round-up: Why Rangers' Glen Kamara didn't feature for Finland as Celtic new boy helps Croatia to victory

Several Scottish Premiership players were in action over the weekend as international football ruled the fixture list.

Glen Kamara was suspended for Finland's World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan

Glen Kamara’s Finland won 1-0 against Kazakhstan but the Rangers midfielder wasn’t involved. The 25-year-old is a key player for the national team but suspension ruled him out of the Group D World Cup qualifier in Helsinki, with Bayer Leverkusen striker Joel Pohjanpalo scoring the only goal on the hour mark. Kamara had earlier featured in a goalless draw with Wales.

Kamara’s Ibrox team-mate Fashion Sakala was a surprise omission for Zambia in their 2-1 win against Mauritania but it was revealed that the forward had taken himself out of the squad through injury.

Rangers centre-back Leon Balogun played the full 90 minutes for Nigeria as they posted a 2-0 victory over Liberia with Joe Aribo also playing 92 minutes before being subbed for Oghenekaro Etebo in injury time.

Ianis Hagi was a 68th-minute replacement in Romania’s 2-0 win over Iceland while Alfredo Morelos didn't travel for Colombia’s matches amid a “quarantine row”.

Defender Filip Helander helped Sweden to a fine 2-1 victory over Spain while Steven Davis captained Northern Ireland to a 4-1 win against Lithuania.

Hearts defender Michael Smith played at right-back but Dundee United goalkeeper Trevor Carson, Motherwell’s Liam Donnelly, Celtic shot-stopper Conor Hazard, and Aberdeen’s Niall McGinn were all unused subs.

Dunfermline’s Vytas Gaspuitis also remained on the bench for the hosts.

Borna Barisic was an unused sub for Croatia as they eked out a 1-0 win against Slovakia while Celtic new boy Josip Juranović played the full 90 minutes at right-back.

Nathan Patterson recorded an assist as Scotland defeated Moldova 1-0. The right-back, making his debut, set up Lyndon Dykes for a first-half tap-in at Hampden.

Hibs striker Kevin Nisbet was handed a first start while Hearts’ Craig Gordon was picked between the sticks. Celtic duo Callum McGregor and David Turnbull were second-half subs.

Parkhead striker Kyogo Furuhashi got the second half of Japan’s shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of Oman while Nir Bitton assisted Manor Solomon’s opener for Israel in their 5-2 drubbing of Austria. Liel Abada was an unused sub.

Nisbet’s club colleague Alex Gogic was an unused sub for Cyprus’ double-header against Malta and Russia while Martin Boyle scored in Australia’s 3-0 dismantling of China with Celtic’s Tom Rogic also involved.

St Mirren’s Jamie McGrath notched an assist for the Republic of Ireland in their agonising 2-1 defeat against Portugal before remaining an unused sub in the 1-1 draw with Azerbaijan, as former Celtic defender Shane Duffy rescued a point for Stephen Kenny’s side.

David Wotherspoon was an unused sub for Canada in their 1-1 draw with Honduras while Lewis Ferguson and Declan Gallagher of Aberdeen were unused subs for Scotland against Moldova.

Stephen O’Donnell of Motherwell also remained on the bench along with Fir Park colleague Liam Kelly and McDiarmid Park No.1 Zander Clark.

Dylan Levitt played the full 90 minutes of Wales’ goalless draw with Finland on Wednesday with Hearts’ Ben Woodburn coming on for the final 17 minutes.

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