Clarke coy about Fraser withdrawal
STEVE CLARKE last night brushed aside the controversy over Ryan Fraser’s withdrawal from the Scotland squad for the Qatar 2022 qualifiers against Moldova and Denmark – and lauded the commitment of his players.
Fraser was pictured taking part in a Newcastle United training session earlier on this week, just days after pulling out of the Group F double header because of a calf injury.
Clarke, whose team can secure second spot in their section and a play-off place if they win in Chisinau this evening, refused to be drawn on the winger’s situation.
He preferred to praise the passion his men have for their country’s cause and revealed he had to dissuade Lyndon Dykes, the Queens Park Rangers striker who is suspended, from flying over 1000 miles to Moldova to cheer his team-mates on.
“I have a squad of players who want to be here,” he said. “They’re all here so let’s talk about those boys.
“The situation with Ryan will resolve itself in time. Listen, it is what it is. This is not the time to talk about somebody who is not in the squad.
“We have built a really strong squad. I had to persuade Lyndon it was a bad idea to fly to Moldova! He’s not with us just now. He’s also had a little virus and had a little knock after his last game.
“But he phoned us up and said he wanted to fly to Moldova just to watch the game. He was prepared to get on a plane for three hours to watch the team and then fly back with the team to Edinburgh. But I managed to persuade him that he didn’t need to do that.
“With the game on Monday, that wasn’t such a good idea. But it shows you the level of commitment I have got from the boys in the squad. That’s what we’re building and I’d rather talk about those people.”
Clarke is missing Ryan Christie, Dykes, Fraser, Grant Hanley and Scott McTominay for the Moldova match – but he is confident the close bond that exists in the Scotland squad will help them get the result they need in Chisinau.
“That commitment is massive for us,” he said. “It’s why, when you need to score a late goal, that spirit and togetherness is there. That’s when it shines through.
“That’s when you see it, when we get a result that could have gone the other way.
“When it’s maybe looking like it’s heading for a draw and we get the win.
“You turn draws into wins because of the team spirit and the feeling among this group of players. That’s vitally important to us and what we’re trying to do.”