Scotland will have to do without Kenny Miller, Kris Commons and Kevin Thomson for the World Cup qualifier against Norway, the Scottish Football Association confirmed this morning.
Yesterday,
Miller was rumoured to be struggling to make the squad, as were
Commons and Thomson, but the bad news for Scotland fans was confirmed today.
Miller and Commons have hamstring problems while Rangers midfielder Thomson suffered an ankle injury in Sunday's 1-0 defeat by St Mirren.
Miller has pulled out after Rangers decided to give him an injection to aid a recurring hamstring problem.
Miller suffered the injury in Scotland's 1-0 defeat by Macedonia and was a doubt for the subsequent game in Iceland, during which he came off the bench.
The 28-year-old missed his club's Co-operative Insurance Cup win at Partick later in September with what manager Walter Smith described as a calf strain.
Miller, who has scored 11 international goals, has started the last two games for Rangers but they decided he needs to have the problem fixed.
Smith told the club's website: "He has a problem at the top of his hamstring and he has had that for a few weeks now.
"It needed an injection and it means he has to rest for five or six days before he starts training again and hopefully that will settle the problem.
"From our own point of view it is something that had to be done but unfortunately it means he misses the Scotland game.
"Although he played last Sunday against St Mirren, it is something that has been aggravating him and causing him pain.
"Hopefully the injection will clear that and he will be ready for our game next week against Dundee United."
The withdrawals of Thomson and Commons come as no surprise after assistant manager Terry Butcher revealed yesterday they were struggling.
Winger Commons has not played for Derby since September 13 because of his injury.
And Thomson had already ruled himself out after being helped off the pitch at Love Street following a challenge by St Mirren midfielder Garry Brady.
"I've watched it a few times on TV now and it doesn't look very clever on his behalf," Thomson told the Daily Record.
"He's turned his back and gone in with a straight leg and his studs showing. It looks as if he knew fine well what he was doing and that's what disappoints me most of all.
"I was really looking forward to being a part of things for the Norway game and I'm gutted to have to withdraw.
"At the moment I'm probably looking at two weeks out but it's hard to tell because there is so much internal bleeding."
The full article contains 459 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
