Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Scotland boss Clarke admits his frustration over Tierney absence
STEVE Clarke admits he is frustrated he still cannot select Kieran Tierney for Scotland.
The left-back has not been included in Scotland’s squad for their final two Eu r o 2 0 2 0 q u a l i f i e r s against Cyprus and Kazakhstan this month.
Tierney has not played for Scotland since the 2-1 defeat i n I srael i n October 2018 after experiencing long-term pelvic problems which saw him undergo double hernia surgery in the summer.
The 22-year-old has now played six games f or Arsenal since making his £25 million move from Celtic but his comeback has been phased and Clarke is still waiting to select him for the first time.
Clarke, whose only communication with Arsenal came via written forms, said: “Kieran has got an ongoing issue that Arsenal are keen to address in the next international break and Arsenal asked us not to select him.
“I t ’s a little bit frustrating. It’s obviously frustrating for Kieran as well but we’ve got good cover in that position.”
However, the Scotland manager is learning not to get exasperated about selection issues.
“There are always issues when it comes to squad selection, people in the squad and not i n t he squad,” he said. “I’m learning on the job and not to read too much i nto squad selection, t eam selection, not to think about it too much until you have actually got t he players in camp.
“I have to focus on the players that come. My job is to try to build a squad that comes 100% committed, everyone committed ready to come here and do their best for their country, and that’s what I am trying to do.”