Clarke does not consider Czechs to be pushovers

STEVE CLARKE insisted last night that there is no danger of Scotland taking a hastily assembled, second-string Czech Republic side lightly. A weekend of Covid-confusion ends with Clarke’s side facing a depleted team expected to feature just two of the Czech starting XI from Friday night’s 3-1 win in Slovakia. The Czechs were ordered to perform a U-turn by UEFA after announcing they were cancelling tonight’s Nations League clash following a positive test for a member of their backroom staff which forced West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek and Roma striker Patrik Schick into self-isolation. The hosts now say their

team will ‘consist of new players and staff members’. Asked if there is any threat of regarding a thrown-together Czech side as three points in the bag, Clarke said: ‘Not within our camp there won’t be. The squad that they’ve picked, we are working through just now. ‘We are looking at it and trying to catch various clips of them playing for their country and their clubs. They all play in the Czech Republic top division. ‘If the situation was reversed and we had to put out a Scottish team that involved players who are not here just now we would put a team out on the pitch and expect them to be very competitive. It will still be a tough game.’ Only two of the Czech starting XI are expected to have any caps at all. And while he acknowledged the opportunity to improve on a 1-1 home draw against Israel on Friday night, the Scots boss played down suggestions that Scotland should take all three points against a fringe team. ‘It is very difficult to sit here and say that — I am only concentrating on what we can do,’ said Clarke. ‘We can’t afford to let that kind of mentality come into the camp. ‘I am more worried about our performance, how we play and whether we can get the result. ‘You have to expect to win. I have never gone into a game of football in my life thinking I am going to lose and that is the mentality we have here.’ Admitting he spent the hours before yesterday’s flight hastily researching a new team of unheralded opponents, Clarke feels as ready as he can be after a surreal 48 hours. ‘All you can try to do is find out bits about individual players, what their strengths are, whether they are right-footed, whether they are left-footed, who might take the set-plays, who may go forward for them. ‘I’m pretty sure the big lad (Roman Hubnik), who scored against Scotland in the 4-6-0 game, will go forward for set-plays because he’s the size of a tower block.’ A defender with Sigma Olomouc, Hubnik is one of the few familiar names in a revamped squad Clarke only had sight of yesterday morning. Promising a different starting XI to that which struggled in the stalemate with Israel at Hampden, Clarke added: ‘I imagine there will be more than three changes.’