Kenny McLean could be in the mix to start for Scotland against Brazil after his appearance against Morocco, with Kris Boyd pointing to a stronger, more physical option for Steve Clarke. Scotland are coming off a 1-0 defeat in their World Cup opener, and the selection call now sits at the center of how they respond.
Boyd said McLean "did well when he came on and could be in the mix to start," while also urging Clarke not to overdo the changes. The former Scotland star wants Scotland to be more physical after what he described as a spell when Morocco bullied them early on.
Kris Boyd on Brazil
Boyd said set-plays could be crucial against Brazil, especially with Gabriel in the opposition. He called the Arsenal defender "a man mountain" and "really aggressive," then added: "It will be interesting to see what Steve Clarke does with Dykes. Set-plays could be crucial against Brazil, and Gabriel is a man mountain, really aggressive."
He also backed Lyndon Dykes for the starting XI after his impact off the bench against Morocco. In Boyd's view, Scotland looked "a lot more at it when they had bigger, more physical players on."
Morocco changed the game
The Scotland response against Morocco was framed by a goal after 70 seconds. Boyd said: "That Morocco goal changes everything and Scotland got spooked." He added: "For 20 minutes, they were dominated and barely touched the ball, albeit there weren’t many openings. But that all gets thrown in the bin after 70 seconds."
He said Scotland were "rocked," but still "played their way into the game." The side were "decent in the second half and showed a lot more belief," though the final issue was clear: "The one problem was creating chances, and that’s the next step when they face Brazil."
Steve Clarke's selection call
Boyd's warning was direct. "I don’t expect Steve to change too much and try to go toe-to-toe with Brazil," he said. "It could end up three or four if Scotland try to do that."
That leaves Clarke with a narrow choice between continuity and a more physical approach. McLean's case is built on what he did after coming on against Morocco; the decision now is whether that is enough to earn a start against Brazil.
