Steve Clarke’s Scotland face a familiar striker dilemma ahead of the World Cup. Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes remain the manager’s first-choice forwards, despite back-to-back blanks against Japan and Ivory Coast. The pair managed just seven combined shots on target across six qualifying games, yet Ross Stewart and Oli McBurnie are excluded despite being the nation’s two most in-form strikers.

Ross Stewart tops a form table of Clarke’s available striker options, with 9 goals in 28 games for Southampton this season, including 6 in his last 11 outings despite 16 missed games through injury. Oli McBurnie has 16 goals and 7 assists in 37 games for Hull City this term, after contacting Clarke to ask about World Cup chances and receiving little encouragement.

Clarke favors loyalty to players who secured World Cup qualification, with Che Adams, Lyndon Dykes, Lawrence Shankland and George Hirst set for squad spots. Oli McBurnie has 16 caps without a goal, last playing for Scotland five years ago, while Ross Stewart was not part of the qualifying campaign. Scotland scored three goals in six Euros games under Clarke, one an own goal.