Scotland’s preparations for their Euro 2024 opener against Germany have hit a setback with the injury to striker Lyndon Dykes. The Queens Park Rangers forward was taken off on a stretcher during training, and manager Steve Clarke is anxiously awaiting the results of a scan on his leg injury.
Dykes has been a key player for the national side, scoring nine goals in 36 Scotland games. He played in all eight Euro qualifiers, starting five and scoring once. His absence would be a significant blow to Scotland’s attacking options.
Unfortunately, Dykes is not the only player on the injury list for Scotland. Brentford’s Aaron Hickey, Everton’s Nathan Patterson, and Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson are already ruled out of the tournament due to their respective injuries. The team cannot afford any more injuries, as assistant manager John Carver emphasized the importance of avoiding “silly” actions in training.
In addition to the injured players, there are several other absences and concerns in the squad. Southampton midfielder Stuart Armstrong and Rangers centre-half John Souttar trained separately from the main group after sitting out the end of the season with their clubs. Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, Nottingham Forest centre-back Scott McKenna, Celtic left-back Greg Taylor, and Liverpool winger Ben Doak were all absent from training.
Doak, who is uncapped, has only recently returned to training after knee surgery in December. Meanwhile, Ryan Jack has only played 13 minutes for Rangers since February 10th. These absences raise questions about the fitness and readiness of some key players ahead of the tournament.
The Scottish Football Association has not provided any further details about Dykes’ condition, leaving fans and the team waiting anxiously for news. Losing a player of Dykes’ caliber would undoubtedly impact Scotland’s chances in the tournament.
As Scotland prepares to face Germany on June 14th, Clarke and his coaching staff will be working tirelessly to assess the fitness of all their players and make necessary adjustments to the squad. The absence of key players and the uncertainty surrounding Dykes’ injury make the task even more challenging.
Scotland will need to rely on their depth and resilience to overcome these setbacks and compete against some of Europe’s best teams in the upcoming tournament. Their success will depend not only on the availability of key players but also on the ability of the entire squad to step up and perform at their best. Only time will tell how Scotland will fare in Euro 2024, but one thing is for sure – they will face a tough challenge ahead.