Steve Clarke urges caution over Ben Doak’s role for Scotland

Scotland’s manager, Steve Clarke, has warned that a mini-crisis in attack before Euro 2024 should not fuel excitement over a prominent role for Ben Doak. The Liverpool teenager could make his Scotland debut from the bench during the friendly against Gibraltar on Monday after receiving a surprise call-up last month.

The ankle injury sustained in training on Friday by Lyndon Dykes has left Clarke with two recognised strikers, Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland, for the finals in Germany. He will take a few days to decide whether to call up another forward – the Under-21 player Tommy ­Conway is the obvious candidate – but is aware Doak played through the middle for underage teams.

Pressed on whether Dykes’s situation could open a door for Doak, Clarke urged caution. There has been considerable noise around the 18-year-old since he progressed through youth teams at Celtic. “Listen, Ben is in the squad to gain experience, to work with us,” Clarke said. “He has been out [injured] for four and a half months so let’s not put too much on Ben. He will be available [for Gibraltar], maybe some minutes off the bench. But let’s keep Ben in the right place. Let’s not overhype or overpush him. Let’s do it properly.”

Clarke seemed especially upset for Dykes, whom he convinced to play for Scotland rather than ­Australia, the country of Dykes’s birth. “Nobody replicates what Lyndon brings,” Clarke said.

“Lyndon brings what he does, what his qualities are. One of the best phone calls I have ever made as the head coach of Scotland was to Lyndon, right at the very start when he had the option of Scotland or Australia. Since then we have had a great relationship. Lyndon is devastated that he is not going but I am really disappointed myself that he is not going.

“He is a key player for us on the pitch and also a key member of the squad off the pitch. We will certainly miss him.”

Dykes joins Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson, Lewis Ferguson and Jacob Brown as Scotland players who would be on the plane to Germany but for injury. “‘I was reliably informed that every squad can expect two injuries,” Clarke said. “I think five is a little bit much, so hopefully that’s the end of it.”

Scott McTominay, John Souttar and Stuart Armstrong will not play against Gibraltar as they recover from knocks. Clarke hopes the trio can return for Finland’s visit to Glasgow on Friday but the world’s 203rd‑ranked side will face an ­unfamiliar Scotland. “We have guys who need minutes on the pitch,” Clarke said.

Clarke believes his squad has benefited hugely from an extended training camp at home before the tournament. Scotland’s last finals appearance, in 2021, was against the backdrop of the Covid pandemic. “We are around and can feel the excitement building, even just from the people watching from the hill behind Lesser Hampden as we train,” he said.

“There was a guy half-naked ­hanging out his window watching from one of the flats the other day. Not such a pretty sight, but everybody is watching, everybody wants a little bit of it. You can feel that.

“Some of the coaching staff walk from the hotel down to Hampden and they can feel the mood of the nation. That has been quite important.”