Scotland's hopes for Euro 2024 have been dampened with confirmation from assistant manager John Carver that both right-backs Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hickey will miss the tournament due to injuries.
Patterson, who plays for Everton, is set for surgery after sustaining a hamstring injury during a match against Chelsea last month. Similarly, Brentford's Hickey has been sidelined since October due to a hamstring injury suffered at Stamford Bridge.
This setback adds to Scotland's woes after Lewis Ferguson was ruled out of the tournament earlier due to cruciate ligament damage.
Assistant manager Carver expressed the significance of these losses, stating, "It's three big players for us and three players who have done extremely well for us in the qualifiers and in recent times." However, he remained optimistic about their future prospects, noting that they are young players who may feature in upcoming World Cups and Euros.
The absence of Patterson and Hickey leaves a gap in Steve Clarke's squad, with Anthony Ralston from Celtic emerging as the only other right-sided wing-back in consideration. Versatile player Ross McCrorie, who has experience at right-back, has also been recently called up.
While Stephen O'Donnell and James Forrest have previously filled in at the wing-back position, it's been two years since O'Donnell's last squad appearance, and Forrest's last European Championship participation was three years ago.
In search of replacements, Carver was spotted scouting at Aberdeen's recent 4-0 victory over Hibernian, where Nicky Devlin and Chris Cadden featured at right-back. However, reports suggest he was primarily observing midfielder Connor Barron.
