Steve Clarke overlooks McBurnie and Stewart in Scotland World Cup plans
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke appears set to overlook in-form forwards Oli McBurnie and Ross Stewart as he finalises his attacking options ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
The national team have suffered back-to-back friendly blanks following consecutive matches without a goal against Japan and Ivory Coast.
Traditional first-choice attackers Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes have struggled to offer a consistent threat during recent international fixtures.
A familiar goalscoring problem
During a broadly successful qualifying campaign, Clarke’s two preferred centre-forwards managed a combined total of just seven shots on target across six outings.
Torino striker Adams accounted for six of those attempts, scoring twice in 446 minutes of action.
Dykes registered merely a single effort on target during his 171 minutes on the pitch, though the physical forward did manage to convert that solitary chance.
The Tartan Army possess a long-standing history of struggling for goals at major tournaments.
Scotland have found the net just three times across their last six European Championship matches, relying heavily on an own goal and a deflected Scott McTominay strike.
Statistical standouts ignored
The 61-year-old manager is notoriously loyal to his established squad members and rarely alters his trusted tactical formula.
This rigid approach means statistical frontrunners based on domestic form are frequently left waiting for a sustained international opportunity.
Southampton’s Stewart currently leads the statistical rankings for Scottish forwards regarding goals per minute and shot conversion rates.
Hull City target man McBurnie sits second in those exact same domestic performance metrics.
Sticking with the familiar
Despite their impressive club returns, neither player seems likely to dislodge established names like Lawrence Shankland or emerging talents such as Tommy Conway.
Comparing scoring records across different domestic leagues remains a complex analytical task for the Scottish management team.
However, the pressing need for a reliable goalscorer suggests the former Kilmarnock boss may eventually need to reconsider his attacking hierarchy.
