Kieran Tierney leaves Scotland HQ to be assessed by Arsenal | OneFootball

Kieran Tierney’s Euro 2024 campaign is over as the Scotland defender heads back to London to have his hamstring  injury assessed by Arsenal.

The former Celtic left-back pulled up in the second half of the 1-1 draw with Switzerland in Cologne on Wednesday night and immediately called for a substitution to be made.

After leaving the field on a stretching and receiving gas and air or the distress of the injury, Tierney was immediately ruled out of Sunday’s Group A showdown with Hungary where a victory will take Scotland through to the knock-out stages of a major tournament for the first time ever.

But today Scotland Assistant manager John Carver confirmed in a Scotland pre-match media conference that Tierney’s involvement as far as playing is concerned in Euro 2024 is now over. Carver said: “He was stretchered off the other night. He’s got an issue with his hamstring and as we speak he is heading home to be assessed by Arsenal. That is all I can say at the moment.”

He added: “He’s obviously extremely disappointed. If we do progress and move through the tournament Kieran will be back to support us. But he’s a young lad, he’s got plenty of time. It’s a blow because he’s one of our top players and in tournament football you need your best players on the park.

“In particular he gives us great balance down the left hand side, he combines really well with Andy Robertson and Callum McGregor. But it’s an opportunity for somebody else to step in.”

Scott McKenna is likely to get the nod as the replacement in the starting eleven for the match against Hungary and that could be the only change, if Steve Clarke keeps his faith in Anthony Ralston after his misplaced pass led to the Switzerland equaliser on Wednesday evening.

Incidentally just about exactly the same thing happened to the England captain and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane in yesterday’s England v Denmark match and that also led to an equaliser with that game also finishing 1-1.

The stick Ralston has received vastly outweighs anything that has been directed at Harry Kane. Ralston played very little football all of last season and only because of injuries to regular Scotland starters like Hickey and Patterson was he even in the squad for this campaign. Both Germany and Switzerland identified the weakness in the Scotland side down the right hand side with Ralston and Hendry being seen as an easier target than Tierney and Robertson.

Hungary will try to do the same thing but Tony Ralston will be looking for redemption by putting in a top performance and helping Scotland reach the knock-outrounds which will hopefully silence his critics, including those within our own support.

ON CELTIC SHORTS…Neil McCann actually criticised Callum McGregor for his wonderful assist

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