Israel pile-up could prove to be a problem for Scotland once Nations League comes back
Steven Reid admits it would be bizarre if Scotland have to play Israel in the second Nations League competition before meeting them in the play-offs of the first.
It has become clear Steve Clarke’s side face a fixture headache when competitive internationals return, most likely in the autumn.
The Dark Blues played the Israelis in the opening set of Nations League fixtures, and were due to meet them again in the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final at Hampden on March 26.
That tie, like the Finals themselves, had to be postponed following the coronavirus shutdown.
Yet while UEFA have so far been relaxed about exactly when it is played, they are insistent that fixtures for the next Nations League are rolled out next season as if nothing had happened.
With Clarke’s men having been drawn with Israel again, alongside Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the potential for confusion is clear.
“It’s strange that we’re playing them again,” said Reid, one of Clarke’s assistant coaches. “If we were to meet them in the play-off alongside, or after, a Nations League game, it would be bizarre.
“Having to fit in the new Nations League ties is tricky.
“There have been rumours of adding another game into an international camp, but until the domestic leagues get underway and completed, we don’t know how it will look.
“It could be September, October, November or maybe even pushed back further.
“But we’d already done a lot of preparation work, so it would make sense for the play-offs to be the next games.
“Either way, we’ll certainly know Israel! We are going to be prepped up to our ear-holes!”
The EPL’s move to cram games between June 17 and August 1, is a concern for Reid, given the likes of
Liverpool’s Andy Robertson, the Scotland captain, and form player, Aston Villa’s John McGinn, will be involved.
“We will maybe see the negative side of the situation with injuries,” said Reid.
“You can probably get through the first two, three, four games with adrenaline.
“Some clubs are fighting for titles, some are fighting to avoid relegation.
“But maybe in the latter
games, there will be a big spike in injuries because there will not have been proper preparation, a normal preseason where you play maybe six friendly games.
“When we see how these players react, we will see whether that is valid.
“Some players are eager to get back, and some players are not so comfortable with certain family health issues, which is understandable.”