Adam Hastings one of four players called into Scotland Six Nations squad to play Italy

Adam Hastings has been recalled by Scotland ahead of Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations match against Italy.

Scotland have recalled Adam Hastings of Gloucester. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

The Gloucester stand-off is one of four players added to the squad for the game in Rome.

The others are Glasgow Warriors fly-half Ross Thompson, Exeter Chiefs lock Johnny Gray and the uncapped Edinburgh lock Glen Young.

Gray returns to the squad after missing the defeat by France due to an ankle injury sustained in the loss to Wales in round two.

For Hastings, Thompson and Young, it’s their first involvement in this season’s Six Nations.

Hastings’ omission from Gregor Townsend’s original squad for the championship was a major surprise given he has been a mainstay in recent years.

The decision to call-up two stand-offs in Hastings and Thompson adds to the intrigue around who will start at 10 for Scotland in Rome on Saturday.

Finn Russell has been the starting stand-off in the first three matches of this season’s Six Nations, with Blair Kinghorn providing cover from the bench.

Townsend may opt to mix things up for the game at the Stadio Olimpico.

Scotland have been hit by a number of injuries over the course of the championship and confirmed on Monday that Marshall Sykes, Nick Haining, Oli Kebble, Ollie Smith and Rufus McLean are all out of the Italy game.

Townsend had already lost the services of Jamie Ritchie, Rory Sutherland and Scott Cummings.