STEVE Clarke has acknowledged that he could be without Craig Gordon when Scotland play the Republic of Ireland at Hampden tonight - if the goalkeeper’s partner goes in to labour before kick-off.
Gordon, who kept a clean sheet in the emphatic Nations League triumph over Ukraine on Wednesday evening, is set to win his 72nd cap in the Group B1 match.
But the 39-year-old has revealed he was called away from the national camp in midweek because his heavily pregnant girlfriend believed she was about to give birth.
That proved to be a false alarm, but Clarke, whose men are bidding to top their section and secure a Euro 2024 play-off spot, knows he could lose the vastly-experienced player.
Clarke can call on Liam Kelly of Motherwell and Robby McCrorie of Rangers if Gordon is unavailable – but neither man has any experience at full international level.
“Absolutely it’s something we have to monitor and we’re monitoring it,” said Clarke.
“It’s possible we’ll have the same sort of Saturday as we had on Wednesday, but the most important part of that is that mum and baby do well.”
Meanwhile, Clarke has told his players they need to build on their 3-0 win over Ukraine with another victory over Ireland – even though Scotland can still top Group B1 if they lose or draw.
A triumph over the Euro 2020 quarter-finalists in Krakow, Poland, on Tuesday night will guarantee the national team first place in their section regardless of the result this evening.
But Clarke said: “We have to win the game. Emotionally it is better for everybody if we can win and go to play Ukraine with a win.
“Obviously, two draws will do us. But you have to set up to win the game. We want to win, we want to win at Hampden. When we play there at home we want teams to know they are coming for a tough game.
“I think on the back of what we did on Wednesday night, we have to back that up with another good performance and hopefully another three points.
“Yes, everyone was rightly impressed with the team in midweek against Ukraine. But I told the players that all we have done with that win is secure the fact we won’t be relegated from the B league. That’s all we have done.
“We can still finish first, second or third in the group. The next game is the most important one. We want to build towards it. We want to finish first. I have said that consistently.
“We still have a lot of work in front of us, then we can start to think about play-offs, seedings, whatever. Let’s get this game out of the way and then we can see what we need approaching the last game.”
Clarke added: “The ultimate aim of this week is to go to the last game in Poland against Ukraine with a realistic chance of topping the section.
“Whether we have to go there and win or go there and get a point, that’s two different scenarios but either way it’s a game that’s probably going to decide the section.”
