Scotland captain Andy Robertson is set to miss this month’s Nations League triple-header.
Manager Steve Clarke is due to name his squad on Tuesday morning for the matches at home to Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland and then away to Ukraine.
However, left-back Robertson is unlikely to be involved after Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp revealed that he expects the 28-year-old to be out until after the international break as a result of a knee issue that flared up at the end of last week’s Champions League defeat away to Napoli.
Speaking at his media briefing ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match at home to Ajax, the Reds boss said: “Robbo now is not 100 per cent.
“(He felt something) very late, 93rd or whatever minute. Actually he felt it the next day only. But yeah, he is out for at least, I would say, after the international break.”
The news that his captain is struggling will come as a blow to Clarke ahead of three fixtures against two sides who have already defeated Scotland this year, with Ukraine having won 3-1 at Hampden in a World Cup play-off at the start of June and Ireland crushing the Scots 3-0 in Dublin in the Nations League 10 days later.
Clarke already had issues to ponder in his defence with Rangers centre-back John Souttar and Leeds captain Liam Cooper having played only 67 minutes and 45 minutes this season respectively.
Souttar has been troubled by injury and the effects of a close family bereavement, while Cooper has been battling his way back from an Achilles problem.
In addition, Sunderland striker Ross Stewart is unavailable to Clarke after sustaining a thigh injury in the warm-up prior to last week’s Championship clash with Middlesbrough.
