The loss of our dynamic duo is a massive blow
IT’S too soon to stick the passports back in the cupboard. No reason yet to cancel the bookings for Lenin’s Tomb. But Scott Brown and Stuart Armstrong are out of Scotland’s World Cup double header with Slovakia and Slovenia. And, for Gordon Strachan, it’s a grim piece of news. From the minute Brown limped from the 3-0 win over Anderlecht on Wednesday night it was obvious what came next. In three weeks’ time, Celtic face Bayern Munich in the Champions League with an outside chance of claiming second place in Group B. Hamstrings aren’t the kind of things players can play Russian roulette with. Nor the clubs who pay their wages. They can’t be fixed by a couple of paracetamol and a good night’s sleep. Listen, Scotland have never qualified for a major finals with Scott Brown in the team. But a stuttering qualifying campaign revived when the Celtic skipper came out of international retirement after four months. The shame is he left it so long. Brown is a deeply divisive figure. But his game has moved on to a different level since Brendan Rodgers arrived in Glasgow. And the same can be said of Parkhead team-mate Armstrong. Man of the match against Malta last month, Armstrong’s energy, running and drive has breathed new oxygen into Scotland’s campaign. Some might think he’s a bigger loss than Brown and that’s fine. But the loss of both players is a grave and very Scottish setback. Just when the national team get a bubble of optimism going, someone comes along with a huge pin and it’s gone. As he must, Strachan will paint on a brave face and gather his players together at their Renfrewshire hotel with a positive message. Life goes on. The Scotland manager picked a 26-man squad featuring 12 midfielders. He’s not short of options. Darren Fletcher and Barry Bannan are in decent form and you could stick money on those two being asked to step up and fill the void. But it wouldn’t hurt to lift the phone and give Callum McGregor a call anyway. Just in case.