UEFA MAY UP SQUAD NUMBERS
STEVE CLARKE is set for a Euro 2024 boost with UEFA ready to listen to national bosses demanding bigger squads.
The Scotland gaffer is one of a number of coaches keen for the bigwigs to increase the number of players available to squads for Germany this summer from 23 to 26.
A high-level summit is pencilled in for April 8 in Dusseldorf where managers will make their pleas for more bodies.
Euro chiefs raised the limit to 26 for the last Euros amid the Covid outbreak – but dropped the number back to 23 for this tournament.
Several gaffers across the continent – including England’s Gareth Southgate – have spoken out and UEFA last night opened the door to another change.
A UEFA statement said: “We have taken note of comments expressed by some national team coaches on the squad size for Euro 2024.
“A workshop with the participating teams will be held on April 8 and UEFA will listen to the views of the coaches.”
Scotland boss Clarke has lamented the 23-man rule and admitted recently the difficulties in chopping down his group from the usual 25 or 26.
England rival Southgate has led the charge and he insisted national sides need the numbers due to the added strain on players with the increased fixture calendar.
The Three lions boss said: “There is one more UEFA meeting where there’s been a little bit of talk amongst some of the coaches about possibly increasing that.
“We’ve got to make the best decisions with what we know and some of those currently are going to be medical decisions.
“And we’ve been able to get those right in the previous tournaments.”
Clarke named a 25-man squad for the friendly double header with Holland and Northern Ireland but expects to have several missing stars available such as Callum McGregor and Aaron Hickey, with Grant Hanley and Scott Mckenna also set to return after dropping out of the initial group.