Tierney a doubt for Scotland’s Euro play-off
Kieran Tierney is facing a race against time to be fit for Scotland’s Euro 2020 Play-off semi-final against Israel on March 26.
It was confirmed last night that the Arsenal left-back will be out of action for three months after dislocating a shoulder.
The 22-year-old was forced off in the Gunners’ Premier League win at West Ham last Monday night and will have surgery this week.
The injury was sustained in Tierney’s third Premier League start since his £25-million move from Celtic in August.
He went down under no contact following a Hammers attack.
Tierney looked in obvious discomfort as he clutched his left shoulder as the club physios made their way on to the field.
They then made a temporary sling with his shirt as he headed off the field, with Sead Kolasinac coming on to replace him.
Tierney, whose last cap for his country was 14 months ago, has struggled for fitness this season with a hamstring issue following a double hernia operation in the summer.
His debut came in the 5-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest in the third round of the Carabao Cup in September, and he would go on to impress in his early appearances.
It took until late October for Tierney to earn the trust of now ex-head coach Unai Emery in the Premier League starting line-up, but he was becoming a regular.
After missing the 2-2 draw against Norwich City and starting the Brighton & Hove Albion game on the bench, he was restored to the starting XI for the fateful trip to West Ham.
The Scotland international was making his first start under caretaker manager Freddie Ljungberg when he was injured just after the hour mark.
Although he hasn’t played for his country under Steve Clarke – and both Gordon Strachan and Alex McLeish struggled to accommodate him in a side that also included Liverpool left-back, Andy Robertson – this is certainly news the national manager could do without.