CLARKE PROMISES HE'LL HANDLE HICKEY WITH CARE

SCOTLAND head coach Steve Clarke promised to look after Aaron Hickey after the Brentford defender returned to the squad following almost two years out.

- Gavin McCafferty

SCOTLAND head coach Steve Clarke promised to look after Aaron Hickey after the Brentford defender returned to the squad following almost two years out.

The versatile fullback has returned to action from the bench in Brentford’s opening two Premier League games following major hamstring problems.

The 23-year-old last played for Scotland in a 2-0 defeat by Spain in Seville in October 2023, two weeks before he first suffered the injury.

Hickey made 14 international appearances, mostly at right-back, before his lengthy absence but Clarke will be mindful of his staged comeback for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Denmark and Belarus. “He’s good to go,” said the national team boss. “Whether he’s good to go 90 minutes over two games is a different conversation. We'll manage him.

“He’s a big player for us and a big player in the squad. It’s up to everybody to manage him properly. We'll do that.