Scotland star RULED OUT of World Cup in massive blow to Steve Clarke’s 26-man squad

Steve Clarke is set to confirm his Scotland squad for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, but there will be one star missing from the 26-man squad.

Scotland are preparing to take part in their first World Cup since 1998, and fans around the country are getting excited. There is an air of anticipation as we wait to hear who will have a seat on the plane, but we now know that there is one player who won’t make it.

Tommy Conway has been ruled out of the competition just as he was starting to fight his way back into the squad. He featured in friendlies against Japan and Ivory Coast in March, but he was forced off the pitch when Middlesbrough took on Southampton in the English Championship play-off semi-final.

Sky Sports confirmed on Sunday that it was an ankle injury and that it will require surgery. This comes after he saw a specialist on Friday.

The 23-year-old will have to miss out, and it could be a massive blow for Clarke, with Conway almost certain to have made the squad.

With Conway injured, Scotland will instead have to look to Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams, who Clarke is likely to play up front. Hearts star Lawrence Shankland has been unlucky not to feature more, but he could get his chance on the big stage.

Although Clarke previously said he was “more or less set” on who he was bringing to North America, Oli McBurnie could now be in with a chance. Fans have been desperate for the striker to receive a call-up, with his last cap coming five years ago in March 2021. The manager is reluctant to shake things up, which could end up hurting the Scots in the long run.

So, we can likely predict who will be on their way to the tournament. SportSource believes that this will be the squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Scotland’s World Cup campaign kicks off on June 14 against Haiti, with them also set to face Morocco and Brazil.