Scotland head coach Steve Clarke will name his 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, with late injuries forcing tight decisions over his attacking options.

The national team boss has typically shown fierce loyalty to a settled group of players during his seven-year tenure.

However, a 28-year absence from football’s premier tournament means competition for a seat on the plane to the United States is more intense than ever.

Late surges in form and untimely fitness concerns have left several key positions unresolved ahead of the looming announcement.

Stewart and McBurnie battle for striker vacancy

A recent injury to Middlesbrough forward Tommy Conway has blown the race for a striking berth wide open.

The 22-year-old left the pitch in tears during a recent play-off defeat, creating a widespread expectation that he will miss the tournament.

Ross Stewart is emerging as a prime candidate to capitalise on that misfortune following a stunning return to fitness.

The Southampton forward has netted five times in his last ten outings, including a crucial goal in the Championship promotion play-off semi-final.

Hull City frontman makes direct appeal

Oli McBurnie offers another compelling attacking option for the final roster.

The Hull City talisman has enjoyed a highly productive campaign, registering 18 goals across 41 appearances for the Tigers.

The confident 29-year-old recently took matters into his own hands by telephoning the manager to discuss his prolonged absence from the international setup.

Both target men will face off in the upcoming Championship play-off final, presenting a dramatic final audition for a ticket to North America.

Curtis times sensational late run

Further down the flanks, teenage sensation Findlay Curtis has thrust himself into contention following blistering domestic performances.

The Kilmarnock winger was on the periphery of the last international camp but has since scored four goals in five matches for Neil McCann’s side.

The 19-year-old has routinely dazzled crowds at Rugby Park, notably shining when the Scotland manager was evaluating from the stands.

Former Livingston manager Marvin Bartley firmly believes the Ayrshire prodigy must be included in the travelling party.

“It’s very early in his career to be going to a World Cup, but we just don’t have enough players throughout the squad who…”

Marvin Bartley

West Ham United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa have been named in the Democratic Republic of Congo squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Croydon-born Wan-Bissaka switched his international allegiance to the African nation in August 2025 after previously representing England at Under-21 level.

The 28-year-old former Manchester United full-back has since earned nine caps for the Leopards and will now anchor their defence on the global stage.

Wissa returns following injury struggles

Wissa earns a recall from head coach Sebastien Desabre having been omitted from the nation’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The lightning-fast forward has endured a difficult period with form and fitness since swapping Brentford for Tyneside last summer.

Joining the Premier League duo in the travelling party is Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe and Hibernian centre-back Rocky Bushiri.

Bushiri’s inclusion comes as a surprise after the defender limped out of a weekend defeat to Motherwell with a suspected Achilles injury.

Veterans recalled for Group K challenge

Desabre has also turned to experience by recalling 34-year-old playmaker Gael Kakuta to the international setup.

The former Chelsea midfielder has featured just twice for the Congolese side over the past two years.

Watford’s Edo Kayembe and Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki provide further English-based representation within the midfield ranks.

The Leopards have been drawn into Group K for the tournament, where they will face formidable opposition in Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan.

Ending a half-century absence

This tournament marks the nation’s first appearance at the global showpiece since competing as Zaire in West Germany half a century ago.

Their 1974 campaign ended in the group stages following three consecutive defeats, including a heavy 9-0 loss to Yugoslavia.

That historic appearance is perhaps best remembered for Mwepu Ilunga famously breaking from his own defensive wall to blast the ball away during a Brazilian free-kick.

Full DR Congo World Cup Squad

Croatia have named 40-year-old midfielder Luka Modric in their 26-man World Cup squad as he recovers from a fractured cheekbone ahead of the North American tournament.

The veteran playmaker suffered the facial injury following a clash of heads while playing for Inter Milan against Juventus at the end of April.

Since undergoing surgery, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner has returned to training wearing a protective mask.

Dalic confident in captain’s fitness

“He’s training with a facial mask and doing well. Maybe this break helped him,” head coach Zlatko Dalic said.

“We’ll see his condition, but I don’t doubt him. He’ll be in good form.”

The former Real Madrid and Tottenham star was instrumental in his nation’s run to the 2018 final and 2022 semi-final.

This summer’s tournament will mark a remarkable fifth World Cup appearance for the enduring midfielder.

Gvardiol included despite shin fracture

Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol has also been named in the travelling party despite breaking his shin in January.

The 24-year-old centre-back will use upcoming warm-up fixtures to build match fitness before the tournament kicks off on 11 June.

“We hope he’ll be ready to play. We expect him to be a major boost for us in the US,” Dalic added.

Gvardiol’s club team-mate Mateo Kovacic joins him in the squad alongside Hull City goalkeeper Ivor Pandur.

Focus shifts to England opener

The European side begin their Group L campaign against England at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas on 17 June.

Following their opener against the Three Lions, they will face Panama and Ghana to complete their group stage fixtures.

“The main goal is to get through the group. I’m optimistic as always, we have a good national team,” the Croatian manager stated.

He admitted his side will adopt a more defensive, midfield-heavy approach against an England team harbouring ambitions of becoming world champions.

“Against Ghana and Panama, it will be different, much more attack-oriented but neither are any less challenging.”

Croatia’s 26-man squad in full

Spain and Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez is expected to miss the upcoming World Cup after fracturing his right foot during a domestic fixture against Real Betis.

The 23-year-old will undergo surgery for the fifth metatarsal injury sustained on Sunday.

Lopez suffered a fracture to the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot in the game against Betis. The player will undergo surgery.

While a specific recovery timeline has not been provided, the Catalan club’s confirmation effectively rules the playmaker out of this summer’s tournament.

A major blow for La Roja

The national team begin their group-stage campaign against Cape Verde on 15 June in Atlanta.

They subsequently face Saudi Arabia six days later before concluding the initial phase against Uruguay on 27 June.

The dynamic attacker was widely expected to be named in the final squad following an outstanding spell of international form.

Recent international success

He was a key member of the national squad that triumphed at the 2024 European Championship.

The talented midfielder also fired his nation’s under-23 side to Olympic gold in Paris.

During that tournament, he scored six goals, which included a decisive brace in the final against host nation France.

To date, the academy graduate has earned seven senior caps and featured in three World Cup qualifiers last year.

Stellar domestic season cut short

This setback represents a cruel end to a highly impressive club campaign under manager Hansi Flick.

The versatile star scored six goals in 30 league appearances to help his side comfortably retain the Spanish top-flight title.

He added a further six goals in the Champions League before a quarter-final exit at the hands of domestic rivals Atletico Madrid.

Leinster wing Tommy O’Brien has emerged as a major injury doubt for Saturday’s Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Begles in Bilbao.

The 27-year-old sustained a knock during training and withdrew from the squad that emphatically defeated Ospreys 68-14 in the United Rugby Championship.

Medical staff will continue to assess the Ireland international before making a final decision on his match fitness later this week.

Further injury setbacks hit Leinster camp

Head coach Leo Cullen will also be closely monitoring the progress of Brian Deeny, Joshua Kenny and Paddy McCarthy ahead of the crucial European clash at San Mames Stadium.

Meanwhile, centre Hugh Cooney has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign after suffering a serious injury during the dominant victory over Ospreys.

Quest for an elusive fifth European crown

The Irish province are desperate to secure a fifth continental title and end an agonising eight-year wait for European glory.

Since last lifting the trophy in 2018, the Dublin-based outfit have suffered deep heartbreak in four separate finals.

Those painful defeats came against Saracens in 2019, successive losses to La Rochelle in 2022 and 2023, and a bitter loss to Toulouse in 2024.

Now, they must overcome the defending champions whilst potentially lacking one of their most dynamic wide attacking threats.

Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is exploring a return to Formula 1 by attempting to acquire a stake in Alpine following the expiration of his non-compete clause.

The 52-year-old was dismissed from his dual roles as team principal and chief executive at Red Bull following the British Grand Prix in July 2025.

His departure ended a highly successful 20-year tenure that yielded multiple world championships with both Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

The Briton reportedly accepted a reduced severance package, believed to be around £75m, to secure a shorter gardening leave period and expedite his paddock comeback.

Alpine investment battle looms

Horner is part of an investment consortium interested in purchasing the 24% stake in the Alpine team currently held by US firm Otro Capital.

Securing a significant ownership percentage would afford the former Milton Keynes chief greater operational power and protect him from future dismissals.

However, his route back to the pit wall faces fierce competition from a familiar adversary in the shape of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

The German manufacturer emerged in March as a rival bidder to acquire the same lucrative slice of the French outfit.

Unexpected paddock alliances

In a surprising twist, McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has emerged as an unlikely ally in the Briton’s quest to secure the Alpine investment.

The American executive strongly opposes the concept of affiliated secondary teams in the sport and views an independently operated Alpine as a preferable outcome.

Ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, the returning executive has been visibly ramping up his motorsport presence with appearances at recent MotoGP and Formula E events.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that a decision on club captain Cristian Romero’s future will be delayed until the end of their relegation-threatened season.

The Argentine centre-back was ruled out for the remainder of the current campaign after sustaining a knee injury against Sunderland last month.

However, the defender was recently pictured training individually at Hotspur Way without a protective brace.

He is desperately battling to regain full fitness ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

Relegation fight takes priority

For the Italian head coach, securing top-flight survival remains the absolute priority over individual player situations.

The north London outfit currently need just a single point from their remaining two fixtures to mathematically avoid the drop.

Attention now turns to a crucial trip to Stamford Bridge to face London rivals Chelsea on Tuesday evening.

“I don’t know, but listen, we have to play another two games. Now, for our injured players, when are they available after a long time with injury?”

The Spurs boss emphasised that collective survival eclipses any individual return timelines for his sidelined stars.

“It is a big problem because the season is tough and only one target we have now. Play with Romero? Play with Vicario? Play with Kinsky? The target is just one and to stay up and make a point tomorrow.”

Summer transfer speculation

The World Cup winner is among several high-profile names heavily linked with a departure during the upcoming transfer window.

Despite acknowledging the need for clarity, the tactician insists now is the wrong moment for definitive choices.

“It is a good question, but it is the wrong timing, no? First of all now the focus is Chelsea.”

He reiterated his admiration for the player but stressed that commitment to the cause is paramount.

“Romero is a great player, and the most important is the behaviour and how much the player wants to stay in this club.”

Final assessments on the squad will only commence following their final-day fixture against Everton.

Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal will leave the club at the end of the current season, concluding a glittering 23-year association with the Spanish giants upon the expiry of his contract.

The 34-year-old has made 450 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 14 goals and cementing his status as one of the most decorated players in football history with 27 major titles.

Having joined the academy in 2002, the Madrid-born defender made his first-team debut in 2013 following a brief, successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen that prompted Madrid to trigger a buy-back clause.

A relentless winning mentality

The veteran right-back went on to lift the Champions League on six occasions, becoming one of only five players to achieve the feat and the only individual to start all six of those victorious finals.

His domestic and international honours list is equally staggering, encompassing four La Liga crowns, two Copa del Rey triumphs, and European Championship glory with Spain in 2024.

At his peak, the Spanish international was widely regarded as one of the most complete full-backs in world football, balancing fearsome defensive aggression with elite attacking intelligence.

Injuries and the end of an era

Recent campaigns have proved deeply frustrating for the defensive stalwart, who suffered a cruciate ligament tear in October 2024 before sustaining another serious knee injury a year later.

These persistent physical setbacks, combined with the high-profile arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold last summer, restricted the former academy graduate to just 892 minutes of La Liga action this term.

Dani Carvajal is a legend and a symbol of Real Madrid and its academy.

Club president Florentino Perez praised the departing captain’s immense contribution to the institution in a heartfelt public address.

Carvajal has always exemplified the values of Real Madrid. This is and will always be his home.

A Bernabeu farewell

Madrid, who are set to finish a second consecutive season without domestic silverware, will host a tribute to their departing leader during the final La Liga fixture against Athletic Club.

The emotional send-off will take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, 23 May, marking the definitive end of an era for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.