Scotland boss Steve Clarke has revealed that he will name a bumper 55-man squad initially for the World Cup.
As per FIFA regulations, Clarke will be asked to submit a huge list of players by May 11, before then trimming the final squad to 26 by the time they head to America.
Scotland are back in action tonight when they take on the Ivory Coast at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
On the back of a 1-0 defeat to Japan at Hampden last weekend, this is the second of four warm-up friendlies.
Scotland will take on Curacao in their Hampden send-off on May 30, before facing an opponent yet to be confirmed once they are over in the US.
Clarke insisted he is unfazed by the prospect of having to name such a bloated squad initially, only to then trim it back.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke is keeping his options open ahead of this summer’s showpiece
Joking that he might even pick himself, he said: ‘It’s a FIFA requirement that you put in a squad, I think it’s about 55 names. And I’m definitely No 55!
‘But I’ll find 55, for sure. I’ll find 55 names. On the back of that, obviously your 26 will come from that group. It’s just a FIFA requirement that we have to do.
‘There can be late additions too. But hopeful I don’t forget anybody. We’ll work on it. We’ve got Steven Naismith [assistant coach] as well and I think he wants another cap.’
Clarke will be able to name a standby list of players, although he does not intend to make that public.
Asked whether he would have to phone the 29 players who don’t make the final cut, Clarke added: ‘No, not from the 55. I won’t be doing that. I won’t be going round every single name.
‘I would imagine across the month of May, when I’m speaking to people and possibly giving them the news that they haven’t made the squad, I’ll be telling them that they have to be ready.
‘I think right up to the first game, you can change players. And into the tournament, you can only change the goalkeeper.
Serie A stars Lewis Ferguson and Billy Gilmour will be mainstays for Clarke this summer
‘We will have a few players on standby that they will know. I won’t make public a standby list. I’ll just name the 26.’
Clarke’s side will face another decent test this evening when they face an Ivory Coast side ranked 35th in the world, five places above the Scots.
The Scotland boss defended his decision to pick tough friendlies and believes the benefits will be evident in the World Cup.
But he insists he won’t get bogged down in any ill-feeling with fans after a section of the crowd booed the team off at full-time after the defeat to Japan on Saturday.
‘It’s up to them, if they want to boo they’ll boo,’ said Clarke. ‘Some people go to the football to boo.
‘There’s not a lot you can do about it and I think you guys are making a bigger thing about it than we actually are on this side of the fence.’
