Five Scotland squad questions for Clarke to answer

Nations League play-off: Greece v Scotland

Venue: Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus Date: Thursday, 20 March Kick-off: 19: 45 GMT

After a four-month hiatus, Scotland will be back in action this month when they face Greece home and away in the Nations League play-offs – live on the BBC.

Win, and they stay in League A. Lose, and they drop down a division.

Steve Clarke is set to name his squad on Tuesday and, as ever, injuries will be giving him pause for thought.

Craig Gordon might be 42 years old but the Hearts goalkeeper is still performing at the highest level.

He was omitted from last summer’s Euro 2024 squad but has reclaimed the jersey in the autumn because of Angus Gunn’s injury problems.

The Norwich goalkeeper hurt a hamstring jumping over an advertising hoarding recently but, even if he is fit, surely Gordon had done enough to keep his place?

Anthony Ralston has not let Clarke down when called upon, but the head coach will be keen to get Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson back sooner rather than later.

Hickey is slowly making his way back from long-term injury, having not played for Brentford since October 2023 away to Chelsea.

A serious hamstring problem, and a thwarted attempt to make it back in time for last summer’s Euros, mean the former Hearts prodigy has had to be patience personified.

Patterson’s manager at Everton, David Moyes, has warned the former Rangers defender he needs to “step up” if he’s to be involved at Goodison.

Lewis Ferguson is another player Clarke would have loved to have available long before now.

His emergence as one of the leading midfielders in Serie A was brought to an abrupt halt by a knee injury towards the end of last season, causing him to miss the Euros.

When Callum McGregor decided to retire, many thought Ferguson’s opportunities would increase and he is now back playing with Bologna.

Scotland’s last three goals have come from midfield and defence, with John McGinn scoring the winner against Croatia and opener against Poland, and captain Andy Robertson’s netting a last-gasp winner in Warsaw.

The last time a striker scored for the national team was last June, when Lawrence Shankland headed in against Finland in a Hampden friendly.

What other options does Clarke have to boost his firepower?

Kevin Nisbet seems to have found his form at Aberdeen and has been in the mix before, and there has also been talk of a call-up for Ipswich Town’s George Hirst.

The son of the former Sheffield Wednesday striker David Hirst qualifies through a grandparent, and scored in front of Clarke in an FA Cup tie with Nottingham Forest.

Just when Clarke thought he’d found the answer to Scotland’s missing dynamism and unpredictability in Ben Doak, the young winger suffered what might prove a campaign-ending injury.

Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick says it’s “hard to say” if he’ll return from parent club Liverpool to complete his season-long loan.

One thing is for sure – Scotland won’t be able to call upon his services this month.