Scotland suffered an injury blow during their 1-1 draw with Switzerland as Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney was stretchered off after a collision with striker Dan Ndoye. Concerns were raised about a serious muscle issue, and head coach Steve Clarke expressed worry that Tierney may miss the important upcoming game against Hungary on Sunday.
Tierney has been a significant impact on Scotland’s performance under Clarke, and losing him is a blow for the team. In the 35 matches he has played, Scotland has a win percentage of 46%, compared to 41% in the 22 games he has missed. The team also concedes more goals without Tierney, with a rate of 1.7 goals per game when he is absent compared to 1.1 when he is present.
Scott McKenna replaced Tierney in the Switzerland game and performed admirably in his place. However, Scotland will need a similar strong performance from whoever fills Tierney’s void on Sunday in order to maintain their momentum and secure a crucial victory against Hungary. His absence will undoubtedly be felt, but Scotland will need to adapt and make the best of the situation as they aim to continue their positive run of form.
