Clarke challenges Scotland players to seal play-off final places

Steve Clarke wants Scotland's Euro 2020 play-off final against Serbia next month to act as an incentive for all Scottish players in or out of the current squad.

Scotland host Slovakia in their Nations League Group B2 game at Hampden Park on Sunday night, before taking on Czech Republic at the national stadium next Wednesday.

The Scots go into the Slovakia game on the back of a Euro 2020 play-off semi-final win over Israel on Thursday night and next month's match in Serbia offers the chance to reach the finals of a major tournament for the first time since the 1998 World Cup in France.

Boss Clarke said: The group of players who are here now have the chance to make themselves almost undroppable. That is the first point on that one.

Looking ahead to next month, all the players who are not in the squad this time have to do everything they can in their power to make sure they are fit and playing as well as they can to make my selection process as hard as possible.

So there is an incentive for them as well.''

Clarke saw his squad depleted before the Israel game. Ryan Christie and Kieran Tierney were instructed to self-isolate after Scotland team-mate Stuart Armstrong tested positive for Covid-19, ruling the three players out.

Meanwhile, Liam Palmer, Scott McKenna and Oliver Burke missed out with various injuries.

Clarke drafted in Hibernian's Paul McGinn - brother of Aston Villa's John - Aberdeen veteran defender Andrew Considine, 33, and Dons midfielder Ross McCrorie.

Clarke said: Ross played last night for the Under-21s but I had already sort of pre-empted the fact that if he came through OK, which he did, he would come to join the squad and he is in a good place.

He has done very well for Derek (McInnes) in Aberdeen in central midfield, but he can also play at the back and he can play right-back, so he is good cover.''

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