How does Clarke fill Tierney void?

Euro 2024, Group A: Scotland v Hungary

Venue: MHPArena, Stuttgart Date: Sunday, 23 June Kick-off: 20:00 BST

Coverage: Watch connected BBC One, perceive connected BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Scotland, unrecorded matter commentary connected BBC Sport website.

How do you lick a problem for illustration Kieran Tierney? Or much to nan point, a deficiency of him?

Scotland's crusade for a spot successful nan past 16 of Euro 2024 comes to a melodramatic caput against Hungary present successful Stuttgart connected Sunday, but they must do conflict without nan move beingness of nan Arsenal defender.

With Tierney having pulled up pinch a hamstring wounded against Switzerland, does Steve Clarke spell for a consecutive switch successful a backmost five, aliases does he return this arsenic a chance to shingle things up?

We asked BBC Sport Scotland pundits Leanne Crichton and Steven Thompson for their thoughts...

Given 1 of nan reasons Clarke plays nan strategy he does is to crowbar Tierney and chap left-back Andy Robertson into nan aforesaid team, beautiful seismic.

The Arsenal defender has not had his wounded problems to activity having already missed 3 months this play while astatine Real Sociedad pinch various limb issues.

But, successful Cologne Stadium connected Wednesday night, his power was clear to see, peculiarly going forward.

In nan schematic above, you tin spot really pivotal Tierney - number six - is to nan squad successful an attacking sense.

The mean position schematic shows his precocious line, which allows Robertson - number 3 - to really push connected compared to Jack Hendry and Anthony Ralston connected nan different side.

Here, we tin spot conscionable really beardown nan near broadside of Scotland's play is done nan team.

This starts pinch Tierney tucking successful down Robertson to let nan second to explosive forward, knowing location is screen behind.

Tierney is besides known for going guardant himself, including that rampaging tally past twelvemonth against Spain for Scotland's 2nd extremity successful a 2-0 qualifying victory.

In position of statistic this tournament, nan 27-year-old was coming into his ain earlier he was injured connected Wednesday.

He has enjoyed an 85% passing accuracy rate, a 100% clearance occurrence rate, while he besides enjoyed 101 periods of possession pinch nan ball.

So what now?

Former Scotland midfielder Leanne Crichton believes nan misfortune of losing Tierney could connection Clarke an opportunity to tinker pinch his formation.

So overmuch of nan building of nan backmost statement is because of Tierney and Robertson.

It possibly weighs heavy towards nan action of going to a backmost four, different you're forcing group into positions they whitethorn not beryllium wholly comfortable with.

The full constituent of nan backmost 5 was to accommodate Robertson and Tierney, and besides if you had nan attacking powerfulness of either Aaron Hickey aliases Nathan Patterson connected nan right. You don't person them either.

Anthony Ralston is simply a right-back. Is location an action to spell backmost to nan four, then?

It's a spot of a dilemma for Clarke. But pinch it comes positives.

Middle to front, changing nan style would springiness you a batch of spot and would let you to possibly get Stuart Armstrong aliases James Forrest successful location to play disconnected a beforehand three.

Tierney is simply a leader. But, erstwhile you return him, you do truthful knowing he's 1 of nan astir wounded prone players we've had successful nan past decade. We've had to play an atrocious batch of games without him.

Scott McKenna came connected against Switzerland and he gives you balance. Obviously he's not sewage nan attacking attributes Tierney does, but that's tourney football. You request to beryllium prepared.

Former Scotland striker Steven Thompson believes we already witnessed who will capable Tierney's boots erstwhile Scotland locomotion connected to nan transportation successful Stuttgart connected Sunday.

I deliberation what will hap is Scott McKenna would conscionable travel in.

He's a decent replacement and is simply a very bully player. He offers america an aerial threat successful some boxes for group plays.

I uncertainty nan head would deviate from nan style he plays and McKenna will conscionable slot in.

It's evidently a awesome rustle pinch Tierney going out, he's 1 of our champion players. His combinations connected nan near pinch Robertson person been a large characteristic for nan nationalist squad nether Clarke.

You person to consciousness for him. He's had an a horrendous clip pinch injuries. It's perfectly devastating for him.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and, now his tourney is over, it's 10 times worse. Especially now they've sewage nan opportunity to beryllium nan first Scottish squad successful history to get retired of a group if we get nan consequence we're desperately after.

But nan squad has to footwear connected and react.

They've had a batch of adversity to woody pinch successful position of injuries, positive nan reddish paper for Ryan Porteous successful nan first crippled against Germany was a curve ball.

But they can't spend to deliberation astir that. Ultimately, there's a occupation to do.