Scotland vs Belarus – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Scotland and Belarus face off in their next World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park on Sunday.

Steve Clarke’s side will be looking to maintain their perfect home record and extend their commanding lead over third-place Greece in Group C, while Belarus remain without a point from their opening three qualifiers.

Scotland vs Belarus – Match Preview and Team News

Scotland Team News

Steve Clarke has called up Connor Barron and Josh Mulligan to replace suspended midfielders Ryan Christie and Lewis Ferguson. Both players picked up yellow cards in Thursday’s 3-1 comeback victory over Greece and will miss the Belarus clash. Aaron Hickey has been ruled out after suffering a knee injury against Greece. The Brentford defender has returned to London for assessment.

Clarke will be hoping the injury concerns are minor for Hickey, who has endured a torrid time with injuries over the past two years, missing 18 months due to a hamstring tear that required major surgery. The Scotland boss expressed optimism about the defender’s condition, stating he was “much better” after initial fears.

Angus Gunn retained his place in goal ahead of veteran Craig Gordon against Greece and is expected to continue between the posts. The squad has been bolstered by the return of experienced goalkeeper Craig Gordon to the 25-man squad for this double-header.

Belarus Team News

Belarus have no fresh injury concerns heading into the Hampden clash. The visitors will be desperate to avoid another heavy defeat after suffering a humiliating 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Denmark in their previous qualifier. Experienced midfielder Yevgeny Yablonskiy is expected to return to the starting eleven after being rested for the Denmark match.

Sergey Karpovich could replace wing-back Vadim Pigas on the right flank, while goalkeeper Fyodor Lapoukhov is set to continue in goal despite the recent heavy defeats. The White Wings have managed just one goal across their three qualifying matches – a penalty – and have conceded 13 goals in the process.

Form

Scotland

Steve Clarke’s side have made an impressive start to their World Cup qualifying campaign. Scotland have earned seven points from three matches to sit level with Denmark at the top of Group C. The Tartan Army showed remarkable character in their most recent outing, coming from behind to defeat Greece 3-1 at Hampden despite being outplayed for large periods.

The victory maintained Scotland’s perfect home record in the qualifiers and demonstrated the fighting spirit that has become a hallmark of Clarke’s tenure. Goals from Christie, Ferguson and substitute Lyndon Dykes completed a stunning turnaround after Kostas Tsimikas had given Greece the lead.

Belarus

Belarus have endured a nightmare start to their qualifying campaign, losing all three matches without scoring a single goal from open play. Their solitary strike came from the penalty spot, while they have shipped 13 goals at the other end, including a 6-0 mauling by Denmark and a 5-1 defeat in Greece.

The White Wings’ defensive frailties were exposed once again in Copenhagen, where they were torn apart by a rampant Danish attack. Manager Carlos Alos faces an uphill task to motivate his players after four consecutive defeats by an aggregate score of 17-2.

Predicted Lineups

Scotland: Gunn; Ralston, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson; Gilmour, McLean; McGinn, McTominay, Doak; Adams

Belarus: Pavlyuchenko; Karpovich, Parkhomenko, Zabelin, Volkov, Pyachenin; Myakish, Kalinin, Ebong; Melnichenko, Barkovsky

How to Watch Scotland vs Belarus?

UK fans can watch the game live on BBC Two and BBC Scotland.

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