Armstrong and Brown ruled out

SCOTLAND’S preparations for their crucial World Cup qualifying double-header next week suffered a huge blow yesterday after skipper Scott Brown and fellow midfielder Stuart Armstrong were both ruled out through injury. The influential Celtic duo also now face a race against time to be fit for their club’s Champions League showdown with Bayern

Munich in three weeks’ time. Brown pulled up with a recurrence of a hamstring problem during the Scottish champions’ emphatic victory over Anderlecht in Brussels on Wednesday night after his team-mate had aggravated his calf in the warm-up. In a wounding blow to Gordon Strachan, both players will now miss Thursday’s make-or-break clash with Slovakia at Hampden and the trip to Slovenia three days later, which will determine Scotland’s chances of reaching Russia 2018. Confirming they faced ‘a few weeks out’, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is hopeful the pair may yet be fit to return to action in the club’s next Champions League clash in Munich on October 18. ‘I’m obviously disappointed for them, on both fronts really,’ said Rodgers. ‘They are injuries which are probably a few weeks, all being well. ‘Browny is a recurrence of an injury he had maybe 18 months ago at the top of his hamstring. It’s really unfortunate. ‘Stuart tried in the game to go out and warm up but it was too stiff. ‘It’s just so unlucky for us and their availability for the Hibs game but also for Scotland, which is a huge loss.’ Asked if Bayern away was a realistic target, Rodgers replied: ‘Hopefully, yeah. If not, then certainly by the Hibs (Betfred Cup) semi-final (on October 21).’ While Rodgers’ main concern is preserving a 57-game unbeaten domestic run against Hibs and Dundee either side of the international break, the impact of the absentees on Scotland’s prospects of making the play-offs also troubles him. ‘Firstly, for the players — I see what it means to them,’ he explained. ‘When I speak with the players, all the Scotland boys want to go with Scotland. That’s not always the case at international level. ‘I’ve had experiences in my managerial career where players don’t want to go with their countries. But all the boys want to go with Scotland. ‘They enjoy the environment they are in with Gordon, Mark (McGhee) and the staff. Secondly they are very patriotic. They want to do well for Scotland. ‘And of course when there is an influx of them there, you want them to do well because they are representing their club side as well. ‘I also look and see the time that’s gone by (since Scotland last qualified), so I would like Scotland to do well as a nation and get back to producing players and getting back to some of these finals.’ The SFA confirmed last night that Strachan had, as yet, no plans to bring in any replacements. However, Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor, who thus far has been overlooked at full international level, may yet come into the reckoning if the weekend’s action was to take a further toll on the squad. 40 YEARS ON: King Kenny on THAT Anfield World Cup header: Pages 118-119