Scotland manager 'praying' Billy Gilmour isn't ruled out of World Cup by knee injury

Scotland manager Steve Clarke said he is praying Billy Gilmour will not be ruled out of the World Cup after a knee injury against Curacao at Hampden. The Napoli midfielder, 24 with 46 caps, started the warm-up but clutched his right knee and was replaced by Rangers winger Findlay Curtis after treatment. Scotland won 4-1, with Curtis opening the scoring, Lawrence Shankland adding a double in the second half, and Ryan Christie converting a late penalty. Gilmour was taken to hospital for a scan, and Clarke stressed the medical verdict remains to be determined, while he hopes Gilmour will be on the United States flight tomorrow. Clarke acknowledged a potential selection headache if Gilmour is ruled out and will consult medical staff as results come in. He named Connor Barron, Andy Irving, and Lennon Miller as on-call options, and praised Tyler Fletcher, who made his international debut in the second half. Fletcher impressed teammates and coaches, and Clarke said there will be a wide discussion about the best approach once the medical results are known. The squad travels to the United States tomorrow afternoon, with midfield balance and squad stability under close review as World Cup preparations continue.