Scotland are sweating over the fitness of captain Andy Robertson as they await the conclusion of the group stage to determine if they have done enough to qualify for the knockout rounds of the World Cup 2026.
A 3-0 defeat to Brazil in their final group game in Miami has hurt Scotland’s chances of progression but their tally of three points could yet be enough to send them into the last-32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
Should they get there, they may need to play their first ever knockout match at a World Cup without their skipper as Robertson picked up an injury during the Brazil clash.
He played the entirety of the first half but was replaced during the break with manager Steve Clarke bringing on Kieran Tierney instead. Robertson was later pictured in Scotland’s dugout with an ice pack on his right ankle as he witnessed his team slump to a heavier defeat then they would have liked.
The loss has dropped Scotland’s goal difference down to -3 for the group stage which currently puts them sixth in the table of third-place finishers with the top eight going through to the next round. Unfortunately for Scotland only two groups have completed their fixtures meaning there will be a long wait to discover if the Tartan Army have more partying to do in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
After the game, Robertson gave a short update on his injury, and sounded slightly glum when saying: “Personally, time will tell. I need to take a day or two to see what has actually happened, and I’ll do that.”
Before the tournament began the statistics showed that ending the group stage with three points and a goal difference of (-3) gave a team a 42 per cent chance of reaching the last-32.
That’s a lower number than the Scots would have liked but they are still in with a chance of securing a knockout spot for the first time in their history.
