Steve Clarke anxious as Billy Gilmour faces injury wait before World Cup

Scotland cruised to a 4-1 victory over Curacao, but the performance was overshadowed by significant concerns regarding Billy Gilmour. The midfielder was forced off the pitch late in the first half after going down unchallenged, sparking immediate fears about his availability for the upcoming World Cup.

Head coach Steve Clarke confirmed after the match that the player has been sent for a medical scan to assess the extent of the damage. The timing is particularly damaging, with Scotland's opening fixture against Haiti in Boston just over two weeks away.

«One big disappointment is the injury to Billy, and we are just waiting on it being assessed, and we'll find out how bad it is. He has gone for a scan so I haven't had a chance to speak to him, but I am 100 per cent worried. I'm sitting here hoping and praying he's on the plane,» — Steve Clarke.

Gilmour has cemented himself as a central figure in the Scotland engine room, making his potential absence a major blow to the team's preparations. Clarke noted that the player's decision to withdraw himself immediately from play was a worrying sign that the issue was not minor.

The match itself turned following a red card for Curacao's Jurgen Locadia, which allowed Scotland to assert dominance. Findlay Curtis netted his first senior international goal, followed by a brace from Lawrence Shankland and a penalty from Ryan Christie. Despite the comfortable win, Clarke admitted he would have preferred a more challenging 11-versus-11 exercise to better test his squad before the tournament in North America.