FLECK CAN BE A HERO FOR SCOTS IN TIME OF DIRE NEED

NOBODY was ever under any illusions about just how tough it’s going to be for Scotland to successfully negotiate their way through the play-offs and qualify for Euro 2020. But it’s beginning to look more difficult now with each passing week with the number of players picking up injuries. Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney and Aston Villa’s John McGinn both look like being major doubts, due to shoulder and ankle problems respectively. And you can now add Scott McTominay to that list after the Manchester United midfielder damaged ligaments in his knee on Boxing Day. United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed over the weekend that McTominay will now be out of action for ‘a few months’. Exactly how long that’ll be, only time will tell. But Steve Clarke must now be looking at alternative options, with McGinn and McTominay potentially missing in the midfield engine room. I sympathise with Clarke because an already difficult task just seems to keep getting harder and harder. We really can’t afford to lose any more bodies. McGinn, in particular, will be a huge loss if he doesn’t make it. He has been

Scotland’s best player over the past year and was our top scorer in the qualifying campaign. As much as anything, it’ll be finding another source of goals that will occupy Clarke’s thoughts heading into the Israel game at Hampden in March. For me, I reckon John Fleck (right) can be the ace in the pack and emerge as a dark horse for the national team. If it’s time for heroes for Clarke, he can be the man. Fleck has been absolutely outstanding in midfield this season for a Sheffield United team who are defying all expectations in the English Premier League while sitting in eighth place. He’s a different type of player to McGinn and McTominay. McGinn is all-action, McTominay is a holding player, while Fleck’s biggest attribute is his composure and ability to hold on to the ball. That kind of player will be priceless to Clarke in what is sure to be a helter-skelter couple of games.