Ex-Rangers star impresses manager in training and could hold key to Scotland qualifying in Poland
Today at 07:10 AM
Scotland may well call on two Rangers heroes as they look to pull off a late upset in the UEFA Nations League away to Poland in Warsaw.
Rangers centre-back John Souttar has earned his place in Steve Clarke's starting XI and once again played a key role in the weekend's 1-0 Hampden victory over Croatia.
Ibrox midfielder Connor Barron is still waiting on his Scotland debut and given the stipulations surrounding matchday six, may have to wait until next year for his first minutes in dark blue.
But there could be another Ibrox figure on whom Scotland's qualification hopes rest as Portugal call on Fabio Silva for their final game away to Croatia.
Portugal rest key players ahead of Scotland clash
Roberto Martinez has already explained Fabio Silva's Portugal call-up, claiming the Las Palmas forward is worthy of a maiden opportunity at the national team's highest level.
But the decision to call up the 22-year-old and the likes of Sporting Lisbon's 17-year-old winger Geovany Quenda comes with Portugal already through as UEFA Nations League 1 Group A winners.
The situation has allowed the Portugal manager to give time off to the nation's more experienced campaigners amid a hectic run of fixtures this season.
Speaking ahead of the match, Martinez confirmed that Portugal's best players had earned the right to a rest with a more youthful and experimental side to play v Croatia.
"It's important for us to be first and we already are," said Martinez, as quoted by A Bola.
"It takes competitiveness to join the group, it’s increasingly difficult to get into the starting team.
In 18 months there is a final phase of the World Cup. The game against Croatia is important, we needed to see other players.
"We will dismiss Bernardo Silva, Pedro Neto, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes, who is suspended. Let’s call the U21 Fábio Silva and (Geovany) Quenda."
Scotland hopes could rest on ex-Rangers striker
The situation has led to some frustration in Scotland circles with the Tartan Army first needing to defeat Poland in Warsaw.
Should the nation be able to overcome Robert Lewandowski and co – no mean feat considering they are also trying to qualify and won 3-2 at Hampden – then Scotland also need Portugal to beat Croatia.
Scotland then need a three goal swing in their favour, meaning a 1-0 victory for the Scots in Poland and a 2-0 win for Portugal in Croatia would be enough to see the nation progress.
Whilst Scotland have to take care of business in Poland, Roberto Martinez has hinted that ex-Rangers striker Fabio Silva is in line to start for Portugal in Croatia.
It means that Scotland's qualification hopes could rest on the controversial striker, who didn't exactly have it easy with the press during a six-month loan stint at Ibrox last season.
Martinez has also hinted that Portugal are set to start with teenage wonderkid Geovany Quenda, who has been tipped to follow Ruben Amorim to Manchester United.
"Quenda fits on the right wing, as we already worked on in September," said Martinez, as quoted by Mais Fútbol. "This is the position that Quenda will work in tomorrow.
"It’s a position you know well. More than a versatile player, he brings imbalance and technical ability, not just position. He is a player with magic and who can unbalance in the final third.
"He is a player with a spectacular future and his experience of being in the national team, whether he takes the field or not, is important. Quenda already knows our concepts.
"Fábio Silva did two training sessions at the beginning of the internship and showed a lot of good work.
"The rest are players with a lot of experience during the last two years in the national team."
