Tierney in doubt for Scotland qualifiers

Kieran Tierney could miss Scotland’s Euro 2020 qualifying double-header against Cyprus and Belgium in June, writes Stephen Halliday.

Celtic interim boss Neil Lennon is still concerned about the condition of Tierney, although he has recovered from the problem which forced him to limp out of Sunday’s 2-1 win over Rangers.

The 21-year-old left-back returned to action in February after being out for ten weeks with a hip injury but a calf issue forced him to withdraw from Scotland’s opening Euro 2020 qualifiers in Kazakhstan and San Marino.

Tierney trained with the Celtic first team squad yesterday and is expected to line up against St Mirren in Paisley tonight as the champions close in on an eighth consecutive league title. But Lennon would like to see Tierney, pictured, given as much time off as possible between now and the start of next season, raising the prospect of him not being available for Scotland’s Group I games against Cyprus at Hampden on 8 June and Belgium in Brussels three days later.

“I can’t make that decision,” said Lennon. “Our physio Tim Williamson will make that call with Alex Mcleish and his backroom staff.

“Ideally, I’d love to shut Kieran down for three months now and give him a rest. Let him do some conditioning work and stay off the grass. But it’s not an ideal situation at the minute. “The culmination of the games he has played over the last three years is bound to take its toll. A lot of our boys have been around it and played all these games in every competition.

“Europa League, Champions League qualifiers, games for their countries. It’s bound to take a toll.”