SCOTLAND CAPTAIN ANDY Robertson is set to miss this month’s Nations League triple-header, which includes their match with Ireland on Saturday week.
Manager Steve Clarke is due to name his squad on Tuesday morning for the matches at home to Ukraine and Ireland and then away to Ukraine.
However, left-back Robertson is unlikely to be involved after Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp revealed that he expects the 28-year-old to be out until after the international break as a result of a knee issue that flared up at the end of last week’s Champions League defeat away to Napoli.
Speaking at his media briefing ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match at home to Ajax, the Reds boss said: “Robbo now is not 100 per cent.
“(He felt something) very late, 93rd or whatever minute. Actually he felt it the next day only. But yeah, he is out for at least, I would say, after the international break.”
The news that his captain is struggling will come as a blow to Clarke ahead of three fixtures against two sides who have already defeated Scotland this year, with Ukraine having won 3-1 at Hampden in a World Cup play-off at the start of June and Ireland crushing the Scots 3-0 in Dublin in the Nations League 10 days later.
Clarke already had issues to ponder in his defence with Rangers centre-back John Souttar and Leeds captain Liam Cooper having played only 67 minutes and 45 minutes this season respectively.
Souttar has been troubled by injury and the effects of a close family bereavement, while Cooper has been battling his way back from an Achilles problem.
In addition, Sunderland striker Ross Stewart is unavailable to Clarke after sustaining a thigh injury in the warm-up prior to last week’s Championship clash with Middlesbrough.
As a Mayo fan I’m actually happy with what they are doing
@Oisin Walsh: it’s great. FairPlay to them. 9000 is plenty for a game like that. I think Mayo have roughly 4000 season tickets so plenty for home team
Its not going to just effect Kildare and Mayo it’ll also effect Tyrone and Cavan because there’s no way that are being taken to croke park on their own. Gaa needs to get the finger out and move that game to newbridge and Cavan v Tyrone to clones. Instead you have 4 teams in limbo not knowing what’s going on
@Mel Roberts: that would make sense at this stage in all fairness. Will be interesting to see how it pans out!
@Joe Kennedy: I doubt HQ will move on it. I don’t think mayo will give a Monkey’s where the game is played and Kildare are entitled to their home advantage. Madness taking Cavan and Tyrone away down there as well, they’d get 20000 in clones on a Saturday evening for it especially with the weather predicted for the weekend.
@Mel Roberts: I would have to agree really. Clones an obvious choice for the Ulster game for sure too.
@Joe Kennedy: 17s are playing monaghan in Armagh on Saturday. Double header maybe. Kildare are well in their rigth to want home advantage.
@Lorcán Coyle: both Cavan and Tyrone u17s are to play in Armagh at 5 and 7 on Saturday evening. Move the 2 under 17 games go clones along with the senior game and that solves another problem. Could have the 3 games on Saturday in clones and Cavan and Tyrone fans can seen their under 17s and seniors.
@Lorcán Coyle @mel Roberts: whole lot in Clones would work alright. Would be great atmosphere there.
@Joe Kennedy: feel like Clones won’t do it though. Would be alot for the pitch to take.
@Lorcán Coyle: ffs its the middle of summer and its one of the best surfaces in the country. It was immaculate on sunday. Its not like its 3 league games in January. I’ve been in clones where they have had a hurling game, minor football and senior football all on one day
About time someone took a stand against this type of bs
Dead right
Money grabbing clueless ba$tards up in HQ
@Paulie Little Balls: tell us what you really think of them paulie! Cmon!!
I really hope Kildare hold their ground on this. The GAA at a local level is a fantastic organisation but at the top they are increasingly behaving like a multinational corporarion in how they do things and are completely losing touch with the grassroots. Yes the finances need to be in order but at this stage its just greed, at the expense of everything the association is supposed to be about
*Corporation, better clarify that before the spelling police are on my back again
Fair play to Kildare hope they stick to their guns against the Grab All Association, this purely a money decision made by Sky to show the double header at Croke Park. Surely a neutral venue could have been found in Ulster for Cavan and Tyrone supporters and not have to travel far to see their team.
Hope the teams stand their ground, ridiculous to change it at this stage.
The GAA have been doing this for years, especially when a team is drawn out first against Dublin (not the Dubs fault) home advantage is taken and the game is then brought to Croker. I hope Kildare stick to their guns.
Ok, as a new arrival from England taking a keen interest in GAA…….wtf is it with so many games scheduled for Croke Park?
Why on earth is Kerry v Galway plus another super eight game being played there? I’d assume fans would want to get the chance to see their team on home turf where possible, not trail four hours and back up to Dublin.
And given the money that must be swilling around in the GAA why is it not possible to provide Dublin with a seaparate stadium rather than give them the home advantage of Croke for every big match?
It really is FIFAesque.
@Philip Exley: Well said Philip!
@Philip Exley: why do people stupidly have to bring in Dublin to every argument,you’re ignorance is only surpassed by your inability to spell.First of all Dublin do have a perfectly good home ground (look it up)they play in Croke park at the behest of the GAA
@Thomas Devlin: Gosh Thomas, thanks for highlighting the spelling error resulting from typing on a very senile tablet.
That apart if you’d care to re read what I wrote my argument was directed at the GAA rather than at Dublin. The fact remains that, whoever makes the decision on venue, it is unfair to everyone else that Dublin get to play all their big games on what is effectively their home pitch.
@Thomas Devlin: p.s Thomas, you might want to check your own use of grammar and spelling. It’s appalling.
@Philip Exley: as G.B.Shaw said why can’t the English teach their children how to speak? Or in your case write!
@Thomas Devlin: You are a toolbag!
@Thomas Devlin: thomas whether its at the behest of croke park or not are you seriously trying to say its not an advantage to Dublin? Its an absolute joke they get the hill to themselves on top of that. Not suggesting its in any way shape or form Dublin’s fault or doing but they are given every advantage that they don’t even need because they are so far ahead of everyone else
@Thomas Devlin: Really! You’re funny.
I came on here to impartially make a comment about a sport I enjoy and admire and from your quarter I get a childish and churlish response.
Your issue, not mine. Enjoy the chip on your shoulder.
Actually think it would benefit Kildare playing in croker, considering the injuries and mileage on the Mayo team. Either way, fair play to them for standing their ground.
Fair play to Kildare. The official draw was made, stick with it.
Fair play to them – I hope it turns out good for them – I wish waterford had the same resolve in the hurling qualifiers – Mexican stand off guaranteed at GHQ
@Brian: ah come on now. Walsh park is both a poor stadium and a poor pitch. The county board can hardly put a strong argument in when they cant put a decent county ground together. And I’d be a supporter of Waterford hurling.
This is a problem of the GAA’s own making. A big faux pas
Is anybody else’s app crashing regularly recently or is it all the dodgy stuff I’ve been downloading causing my phone to act up
@Clay Davis: develop a no porn policy
@John O Reilly: easier said than done.
Good for Kildare – about time a county took a stance !
So Mayo will come out on Saturday and the ref will throw in the ball in Croke park, if Mayo score a goal or a pint then it’s game over. Mayo could give the two fingers to GAA HQ and kick it wide on purpose… with no one to kick it out the game ends in a a 0-0 to 0-0 draw and a replay is needed
Good luck to Kildare, hope they stand firm on this. It stated quite clearly that the teams drawn first would be at home.
MEANWHILE SKY Sports are waiting in the long grass (or should that be the short grass) as they still have TBC emblazoned on their programme schedule
What next , move the game to limerick… oh wait a moment …
If Mayo have one ounce of respect they should show up in new bridge.
i don’t see it happening as mayo are so desperate at this stage to try and win sam they will accept the walkover.
thats the stuff Kildare. I’d only be delighted to see the game played in the home kildare GAA, from a mayo man.
So mayo get a walk over then!!! Or??
@tim dawson: dose mayo really want to accept a walkover and in the unlikely event of them winning sam this year have is throwing at them that they just won it as they accepted a walkover ??