Euro 2024: Who replaces Kieran Tierney for Scotland against Hungary? – BBC Sport

Former Scotland midfielder Leanne Crichton believes the misfortune of losing Tierney could offer Clarke an opportunity to tinker with his formation.

So much of the structure of the back line is because of Tierney and Robertson.

It maybe weighs heavily towards the option of going to a back four, otherwise you’re forcing people into positions they may not be wholly comfortable with.

The whole point of the back five was to accommodate Robertson and Tierney, and also if you had the attacking power of either Aaron Hickey or Nathan Patterson on the right. You don’t have them either.

Anthony Ralston is a right-back. Is there an option to go back to the four, then?

It’s a bit of a dilemma for Clarke. But with it comes positives.

Middle to front, changing the shape would give you a lot of strength and would allow you to maybe get Stuart Armstrong or James Forrest in there to play off a front three.

Tierney is a leader. But, when you take him, you do so knowing he’s one of the most injury prone players we’ve had in the last decade. We’ve had to play an awful lot of games without him.

Scott McKenna came on against Switzerland and he gives you balance.

Obviously he’s not got the attacking attributes Tierney does, but that’s tournament football. You need to be prepared.

Former Scotland striker Steven Thompson believes we already witnessed who will fill Tierney’s boots when Scotland walk on to the pitch in Stuttgart on Sunday.

I think what will happen is Scott McKenna would just come in.

He’s a decent replacement and is a very good player. He offers us an aerial threat in both boxes for set plays.

I doubt the manager would deviate from the shape he plays and McKenna will just slot in.

It’s obviously a major blow with Tierney going out, he’s one of our best players. His combinations on the left with Robertson have been a big feature for the national team under Clarke.

You have to feel for him. He’s had an a horrendous time with injuries. It’s absolutely devastating for him.

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and, now his tournament is over, it’s 10 times worse. Especially now they’ve got the opportunity to be the first Scottish team in history to get out of a group if we get the result we’re desperately after.

But the team has to kick on and react.

They’ve had a lot of adversity to deal with in terms of injuries, plus the red card for Ryan Porteous in the first game against Germany was a curve ball.

But they can’t afford to think about that. Ultimately, there’s a job to do.