Plane carrying the Germany squad makes emergency landing in Edinburgh

The Germany player line-up for the national anthem prior to their 4-0 win over Iceland in Reykjavik. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Hansi Flick and his squad of players were on their way back from Reykjavik following a 4-0 win over Iceland in a World Cup qualifier when their plane was forced to divert to Edinburgh due to the need to carry out a "precautionary safety inspection".

The players touched down at 5am and were stranded at the mist-shrouded airport for a number of hours before the German FA confirmed that a replacement aircraft was on its way to take them home.

The German FA posted a statement on Twitter which read: "Our flight home has been diverted to Edinburgh in order to carry out a precautionary safety inspection on the plane.

"Everyone is fine and patiently waiting while the staff go about their business calmly and professionally."

An update followed shortly afterwards, adding: "A replacement plane is now en route to Edinburgh to bring the players, coaches, staff and the DFB delegation back to Germany."

A further post at noon confirmed that the squad had resumed their journey to Germany, stating: “The replacement flight has since arrived and we're heading back to Frankfurt and Munich."

Germany sit top of Group J with 15 points, four above second-place Armenia with four games remaining.

The victory in Iceland ensured a winning start for new head coach Flick, who replaced the long-serving Joachim Low following a disappointing Euro 2020 campaign that saw the Germans knocked-out by England at the quarter-final stage.

Get a year of unlimited access to all The Scotsman's sport coverage without the need for a full subscription. Expert analysis of the biggest games, exclusive interviews, live blogs, transfer news and 70 per cent fewer ads on Scotsman.com - all for less than £1 a week. Subscribe to us today