Broadfoot joins Scots as injuries mount

MISGIVINGS over Scotland's trip to Macedonia at the weekend are likely to deepen with each report of a call-off, or injuries that threaten to incapacitate more members of George Burley's dwindling resources. David Weir's defection on Monday was followed yesterday by those of the third goalkeeper, David Marshall, and the Birmingham City striker, Garry O'Connor.

There are, in addition, doubts about the chances of the West Brom midfielder, James Morrison, and Preston left-back Callum Davidson being fit for the first match in the double-header that is completed against Iceland in Reykjavik next Wednesday. Both players, it is said, will be closely monitored over the next few days before a decision is taken on their availability.

There is a mischievous temptation to wonder if O'Connor's experience as a player with Lokomotiv Moscow – his place of work between leaving Hibernian and joining the English club – has left him with a black aversion to eastern Europe.

It was, after all, his failure to join the Scotland party that travelled to Kiev for the Euro 2008 qualifier against Ukraine in 2006 which caused his exile from the national team by a clearly offended Walter Smith. Subsequently re-instated by Smith's successor, Alex McLeish – now, coincidentally, his manager at Birmingham – O'Connor has now left Burley a man short in the striking department for the assignment in Skopje.

The former Hibs man's non-appearance is not exactly disastrous, and not merely because he is unlikely to have been a first choice in attack. With another four nominated forwards in the squad and Shaun Maloney – included among the midfielders, but capable of playing up front – Burley surely has sufficient numbers to cover for a match in which he is likely to play with a solitary striker.

The absence of Marshall, the former Celtic goalkeeper, is also not a serious blow, since he is only third choice behind Craig Gordon and Allan McGregor. Aberdeen's Jamie Langfield has been called up in place of the Norwich City shot-stopper. But the withdrawal of the vastly experienced Weir – the most-capped player in the squad with 62 – and his replacement by his Rangers team-mate, Kirk Broadfoot, called in yesterday, has left the central defence with a potentially vulnerable look.

Burley's preferred partnership of Gary Caldwell and Stephen McManus are the only two with proper experience of the kind of task faced by the Scots over the course of the coming week. Their back-up comprises three novices, in the form of the twice-capped Christophe Berra of Hearts, Darren Barr of Falkirk – one appearance as substitute in the recent friendly against Northern Ireland – and the uncapped Broadfoot, who has been playing at right-back for his club.

Were either Caldwell or McManus, or both, to succumb to injury before or during either of the upcoming World Cup matches, a heavy burden would fall on one or more of the younger players.

Over the past few days, however, there has been a growing suspicion that Burley is in danger of 'spooking' some of his own players with his insistence on highlighting the difficulties they are likely to encounter with the high temperatures that prevail in Skopje at this time of year.

The national team manager has frequently referred to the heat – predicted to be around 33 degrees on Saturday afternoon – as though it will be a more formidable obstacle than the Macedonian players. It is perhaps time Burley turned to more positive aspects of his squad's capabilities in an attempt to induce self-belief.

It was a relief yesterday to hear Scotland's non-playing captain, Barry Ferguson, offer the opinion that a hot sun should be nothing like as fearful a factor as the manager has led us to believe. "I'm sure all the guys who are likely to start the match will have experienced similar temperatures, or even worse," said Ferguson, who confirmed that he is unlikely to be available until after Scotland's autumn campaign is completed with the home match against Norway next month. "I don't see the heat being a problem.

"I just wish I could be there, but it looks as though I won't be ready until November, when there is an international date free for a friendly match. I'm going to have a lot of work to do over the next six weeks to get the strength back in my calf muscle and then, if I can have a few games, I should be okay to return to the Scotland squad in November."