McTominay returns to Scotland training after stomach illness sparked squad concern

Scott McTominay has been cleared to play for Scotland after a stomach illness briefly forced him to miss training and travel apart from his teammates at their Boston base ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Manager Steve Clarke confirmed on Friday that the Napoli midfielder is “perfect and ready to go” after returning to the training pitch.

McTominay’s absence from Thursday’s session prompted widespread concern among Scotland supporters, but the precautions taken were straightforward. The 29-year-old was kept away from the rest of the squad and monitored by a team doctor solely to prevent any risk of passing the illness on to other players — a standard measure rather than a sign of serious concern.

Clarke was keen to put the episode in perspective and push back against the weight of expectation placed on a single player. “I’ve got 26 superstars here,” the Scotland manager said. “To try to put so much on to one person is not fair. We’ve built everything we’ve done over the last seven years on the squad, the team, everyone being together and playing their part at certain times.”

He added: “We are delighted with Scott’s abilities and what he can bring to the team. But we are going to need another 15 to bring the same if we want to have a positive tournament.”

McTominay’s importance to Scotland is hard to overstate. The midfielder has scored 15 goals and provided three assists in 70 international appearances, including a memorable overhead kick in the 4-2 win over Denmark that sealed Scotland’s place at their first World Cup since 1998 — a 28-year wait.

The only confirmed absentee for the Haiti opener is defender Scott McKenna, who is sidelined with a calf injury. The Dinamo Zagreb centre-half is expected to return to training on Monday, though he will not feature in Scotland’s opening fixture.

Scotland face Haiti at Boston Stadium at 2am UK time as they begin their campaign looking to make an immediate mark on their long-awaited return to the world stage.