Eck’s squad already trailing Peruvians – in caps and goals
SCOTLAND will face a Peru side with almost 10 times as many caps and a squad who have scored a staggering 57 more goals.
National boss Alex McLeish has arrived in South America with a hugely inexperienced squad and they are now preparing for next week’s daunting friendly against a Peru side gearing up for their first World Cup in 36 years at Russia 2018.
The enormity of the task facing Scotland can be illustrated by comparing their threadbare 21-man squad for the friendlies with Peru and Mexico, with their hosts in Lima.
Only two of Scotland’s squad have scored in an international match – Blackburn’s Charlie Mulgrew, who has netted twice, and Matt Phillips of West Brom.
The combined number of caps in the Scotland squad is just 75 – only Mulgrew and Phillips are in double figures – and there are a total of nine uncapped players, including all three keepers.
In contrast Peru’s 24-man squad have a total of 701 caps and have struck 60 goals.
Five of their players have over 50 caps and they don’t have a single uncapped player in their list.
Top scorer is Lokomotiv Moscow ace Jefferson Farfan who has netted 24 goals in his 81 national appearances.
Scotland have only scored a combined total of 27 goals in their last 19 games.