Scotland’s long-awaited return to the World Cup has been overshadowed by an injury scare, with a key defender missing training on the eve of their group clash with Morocco. The Tartan Army had been celebrating a dream start: a 1-0 victory over Haiti in Foxborough, secured by an early goal that gave Steve Clarke’s side their first ever win at a men’s World Cup finals.
But the mood turned tense after it emerged a star defender sat out the final session before Thursday’s match against Morocco, the African champions and semi-finalists from four years ago. The fresh setback deepens concerns for a Scotland team already facing the toughest task in Group C – a pool that also includes Brazil, the record five-time champions, and now Morocco, ranked inside the world’s top 10.
“Scotland face injury worry as a defender misses training on eve of Morocco World Cup clash”
For the supporters, the group has been a blast of nostalgia. Scotland, Brazil and Morocco are reunited in the same World Cup group for the first time since 1998, when the Tartan Army last graced men's finals. Haiti, making just their second appearance and first since 1974, complete the lineup. The Caribbean side offered little resistance in the opener, but Scotland’s margin for error remains razor-thin.
Brazil, led by their first ever foreign manager, Carlo Ancelotti, and fuelled by Neymar’s shock recall, will loom large. The Selecao have not won the World Cup since 2002 – a 24-year drought that already equals the gap between 1970 and 1994. Should they fail again, it would be their longest spell without the trophy since they first won it in 1958. Ancelotti’s men began with a 1-1 draw against Morocco, a result that keeps everyone in the hunt.
For Scotland, the equation is simple but daunting: beat Morocco on Wednesday to keep hopes of a historic first group-stage advancement alive. But without their injured defender, that task may just have got harder. The Tartan Army will hope for a fitness bullet that proves as resilient as their own long journey back to the big stage.