Scott McTominay took part in Scotland training on Friday, shaking off an upset stomach that had kept him out of the previous session and raising hopes that he will start the nation's first World Cup match in 28 years. The Napoli midfielder travelled separately from the rest of the squad as a precaution after arriving in Boston, accompanied by a doctor, but Steve Clarke confirmed his star player is feeling "perfect and ready to go" for Saturday's Group C opener against Haiti at Boston Stadium.
Scotland head coach Clarke, however, was quick to downplay the significance of any one individual. "I've got 26 superstars here," he said. "To try to put so much on to one person is not fair. We've built everything we've done over the last seven years on the squad, the team, everyone being together and playing their part at certain times." He added: "We are delighted with Scott's abilities and what he can bring to the team. But we are going to need another 15 to bring the same if we want to have a positive tournament."
“Scott McTominay has recovered from an upset stomach to be available for Scotland's World Cup opener against Haiti.”
The 29-year-old's availability is a timely boost for a Scotland side that will also face Morocco and Brazil in the group stage. However, the news was not all positive: centre-back Scott McKenna, who has not trained this week, will miss the Haiti match with a calf issue. Clarke expects the defender to return to training on Monday.
Scotland's return to the world stage after more than a quarter of a century begins at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, with kick-off at 02:00 BST on Sunday morning. The Tartan Army will be hoping McTominay's recovery is a sign of good fortune to come.