Just reaching play-offs will not be enough for Morrison

● Midfielder is focused on Scotland’s four potential ‘cup finals’ ● Wants Scott Brown to have something to play for when fit

for the middle of next month. But, in order to give Brown the chance to pull on a Scotland shirt again – there’s a strong possibility he might retire again in the event of failure to qualify – Morrison and his team-mates will need to maintain their winning run for two more games, starting with Slovakia.

Morrison has received intelligence on the opposition from West Bromwich Albion teammate Jake Livermore, who came on as a late substitute for England in their 2-1 win over Slovakia last month.

“Jake just said they are a good team, a good passing team, who have got some good players,” said Morrison. “The two key names that we have seen are [Martin] Skrtel and [Marek] Hamsik. They also have [Vladimir] Weiss, who was at Rangers. They have some good players.

“We will have to get our game plan right and do what we have done at Hampden in our last few games there.”

Scotland must also hope for the opposite to what happened in the last campaign, when a strong start was undone towards the end. This time around Scotland’s World Cuphopeslookedtohavebeen sunk after just the third outing – a 3-0 defeat in Slovakia 12 months ago. However, they have stuck to their task and put together a three-match unbeaten run to re-ignite their ambitions.

“Wins breed confidence and performances,” said Morrison. “We’re in a good place. In the last campaign we started well and faded so hopefully it’s reversed.”

Morrison will hope to be given his chance. While much is made of the contribution of Brown over the years, it is pertinent to point out that Morrison, if he plays tomorrow, will win his 46 th cap.

He has been as committed

0 James Morrison, who hopes to win his 46th cap tomorrow, has played through the pain barrier for as anyone over the years. He played through the pain barrier to reach half-time when he last started, against England in June, having sustained a knock early on.

“I didn’t want to come off after two minutes did I?” he smiled. “I might have been branded a bit of a so-and-so. The three points in that game could have been massive. But, having gone 1-0 down, a draw was a good result.”

Morrison has been in and out of the West Bromwich Albion side this season. But as much as he would like Brown to have been fit tomorrow, the Celtic midfielder’s absence, and that of Armstrong, has increased his chances of returning to Strachan’s starting XI after being named as substitute against Lithuania and Malta.

“Obviously [what is happening] at club level sometimes hampers you with the national side,” he said. “You have just got to wait for your chance.”