Kieran Tierney among three Scotland withdrawals as Hearts duo called up for Ukraine clash

Scotland will be without defenders Kieran Tierney and Scott McKenna for their crucial Nations League showdown with Ukraine on Wednesday.

The Arsenal and Nottingham Forest duo have withdrawn from the squad along with Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, who is suspended for the Krakow clash after picking up a second booking of the campaign in the 2-0 win over Republic of Ireland at Hampden on Saturday.

Tierney was substituted during the first-half of that match with a head-knock which now appears to have ruled him out of the trip to Poland, the temporary home of the war-affected Ukrainian side, while McKenna has suffered a knee strain.

Head coach Steve Clarke has responded to the trio of call-offs by handing call-ups to Hearts duo Stephen Kingsley and Barrie McKay – two key figures in the Tynecastle club’s third place finish last season.

Kieran Tierney comes off with a head knock during the win over Republic of Ireland at Hampden. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Both have one senior cap each which came in the same match as the pair appeared as substitutes in a 3-0 friendly defeat to France in Metz in June 2016 when McKay was at Rangers and Kingsley at Swansea.

Clarke now faces a selection dilemma for a match Scotland must claim at least a point from in order to seal top spot in Nations League Group B1 – and a guaranteed play-off to qualify for Euro 2024.

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