Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and dealing with heat: Key talking points as Scotland take on Cyprus
Scotland's Scott McTominay (left) celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game with team-mate Kieran Tierney
Scotland take on Cyprus in a Euro 2024 qualifier in Larnaca on Friday night.
Steve Clarke’s side are top of Group A with 12 points from their first four fixtures.
Here, we take a look at the key talking points ahead of their fifth qualifier.
Can Scotland keep up their good form?
The 2-0 win over Georgia at Hampden Park in June not only kept Scotland top of their section but made it eight competitive games without defeat for Scotland.
Notwithstanding a 2-1 loss to Turkey in a friendly last November, you have to go back to June 2022 and a 3-0 defeat by the Republic in Ireland in the Nations League for the Scots’ last loss.
After morale-boosting wins over Norway and Spain in these set of qualifiers, a victory over Cyprus is expected.
The Cyprus heat
The soaring temperature in Cyprus is on a different level from the UK, even allowing for the good weather back home this week. Clarke seems relaxed about the heat for a match which kicks off at 9.45pm local time.
The Scotland boss said: “When we came off the plane last night at the back of 10 o’clock the conditions were OK.
"It was pretty hot in Norway when we went there so we have some experience and it was nice and sunny in Glasgow when we left so you just have to deal with the conditions as they are and make sure we get the result that we want.”
Scott McTominay has become a key player
There was a lot of speculation over the future of Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay in the summer transfer window but he remains at Old Trafford.
And while his value to the United side is debated, there is no doubt as to how important he is to Scotland.
The playmaker has scored five goals in the last four games in dark blue including doubles against Cyprus and Spain at Hampden and a counter in the 2-0 home win over Georgia.
Previous to this current scoring burst, McTominay had only scored once for Scotland, in a 3-2 win over Israel at Hampden Park.
Billy Gilmour in confident mood
The Brighton player became an instant favourite of the Tartan Army when he made his first start in the goalless draw with England at Wembley at the delayed Euro 2020.
The 22-year-old from Ayrshire moved from Chelsea to the Seagulls in the summer of 2022 but had a slow start to his career on the south coast and was not always playing.
However, since Moises Caicedo moved to Chelsea, Gilmour has taken his chance and has impressed in Brighton’s fine start to the season which has included emphatic wins over Wolves and Newcastle.
He started in the 2-0 win over Georgia – a first start since the Turkey defeat – and will be looking to win his 19th cap in Cyprus.
Jack Hendry to keep his place?
The 28-year-old centre-back signed for Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq, moving from Club Brugge, having also spent a spell last season in Serie A with Cremonese on loan.
There has been a lot of discussion around the merits of the Saudi league – much of it relating to England midfielder Jordan Henderson.
Hendry won his 23rd cap in the 2-0 win over Georgia having played in the previous win over Noway but Nottingham Forest’s Scott McKenna returns after missing the past two camps through injury.
