Scotland Men's Football Team

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Birmingham City manager Chris Davies expects a busy January transfer window of ins and outs with Scottish pair Lyndon Dykes and Marc Leonard both unhappy with their time on the pitch with the Championship side.

Scotland striker Dykes has played only 422 minutes of league football this season, while midfielder Leonard has started only five Championship games among 17 appearances.

And both were omitted from Blues' squad for the weekend victory over leaders Coventry City.

Asked about their futures, Davies replied: "At the moment, we have got a lot of moving parts around players potentially coming in and players potentially going out.

"We're looking at everything and trying to put a squad together for each match that works for us.

"We'll see how the next weeks go with it all. There's going to be a lot of moving parts in the next three weeks, I'm sure."

The 24-year-old Leonard has struggled to separate the midfield partnership of Paik Seung-ho and Tommy Doyle.

Dykes, who was linked with a move to Hibernian in the summer, finds himself even behind misfiring former Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi as the 30-year-old looks for game time to cement a place in Scotland's World Cup squad.

"We've been talking a lot to the players and their agents," Davies added. "They haven't had as much game time as they would like, which is fair.

"We'll see how it all develops and things will become clearer as the weeks go by with them.

"I think it will be [busy]. I had the feeling it would be a bit like this leading up to it. Last season, it was two or three in, two or three out, it was pretty low-key. I think this one will be a busy one, definitely."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Stuart Findlay has a place in Scotland's World Cup squad in his sights after agreeing a pre-contract to make his Hearts stay permanent.

The former Kilmarnock defender moved to Tynecastle on loan from Oxford United in the summer and will join on a two-year deal come the end of the season.

The 30-year-old has one senior cap - in a 6-0 victory over San Marino in 2019 in which the centre-back scored one goal and set up another - and previously worked with Scotland manager Steve Clarke at Rugby Park.

"I think every professional football player, until the day they retire, wants to play for their country," Findlay said.

"It's the highest honour you can get in a game. I understand how well the national team is doing just now.

"I know the manager well, obviously from my time at Kilmarnock. Again, there's no surprise to me how well he's done.

"Me, as a Scotland supporter watching, I trust him implicitly to pick the squad that he thinks is the best."

The defender's prospects of an international recall have been by boosted by his form in helping Hearts to the summit of the Scottish Premiership.

"For me, the biggest thing for me this season was doing well at Hearts," he added.

"Being able to achieve a two-year contract with Hearts, that was the main goal for me and I'm delighted to do that.

"I want to make sure I keep performing for Hearts. It's the aim that's put the faith in me and anything that comes off the back of that, of course, it'd be a massive bonus and it'd be great to be involved in.

"But, yeah, just make sure that I look ahead, make sure I do the job for the club that's trusting me and then whatever comes after that, we'll wait and see."

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Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin believes the timing could be right for national manager Steve Clarke to take over as Celtic boss for the 2026-27 season. (Sun), external

Hearts and Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, 43, has "not had any interest" from potential suitors. (Scotsman - subscription required), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Charlton Athletic are keen on signing 30-year-old Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes, who has played a cameo role with Championship rivals Birmingham City this season. (Daily Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Scotland could face Ivory Coast in England and Peru in the United States as part of the preparations for the 2026 World Cup. (Herald - subscription required), external

The Scots are expected to face Ivory Coast in March. (Scotsman - subscription required), external

Wolves are monitoring Hibernian and Scotland striker Kieron Bowie, 23, as they prepare for relegation to the Championship. (Patreon.com - subscription required), external

Union Berlin's Scottish forward Oliver Burke, 28, is the fastest player in the Bundesliga this season. (Sun), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Ayoub El Kaabi did a Scott McTominay with a stunning overhead kick as Scotland's World Cup opponents, Morocco, opened the Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-0 victory over Comoros in Rabat.

The win over the Indian Ocean islanders in front of a crowd of 60,180 extends the Atlas Lions' world record run of consecutive victories to 19.

Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz had fired home 10 minutes after the break from 15 yards following a frustrating first half for the tournament hosts at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

And Olympiacos striker El Kaabi made sure of the three points as he rose to athletically power home a Anass Salah-Eddine cross after 74 minutes in a similar style to McTominay's famous strike in Scotland's World Cup-qualifying win over Denmark.

Diaz had won a 10th-minute penalty, but goalkeeper Yannick Pandor beat away Soufiane Rahimi's spot kick.

That was 11th-ranked Morocco's only attempt on target against the side ranked 108th in the world until Diaz struck to break the deadlock.

Standard Liege striker Rafiki Said was through on goal moments later with a chance to equalise, but Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou stopped the effort with his legs.

However, Pandor saved from Noussair Mazraoui and Jawad El Yamiq in quick succession before El Kaabi's stunning second and another fine stop from the goalkeeper denied Youssef En-Nesyri a third.

Mali and Zambia play the second game in Group A on Monday, with Walid Regragui's hosts next facing Mali on Boxing Day.

Getting back in the Scotland squad is 29-year-old Hull City striker Oli McBurnie's "ultimate goal". (Sun), external

San Diego forward Lewis Morgan, 29, has "both eyes" on Scotland's World Cup campaign. (Sunday Mail), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hibs midfielder John Mulligan believes a place in Scotland's World Cup squad is a realistic goal.

Mulligan, 23, was called into the national squad earlier in the year but has yet to earn his first cap at senior level. He did feature for Scotland Under-21s from 2022-24, scoring twice in 16 appearances.

"Yes, I think so," he said.

"I obviously got called up, not the last one but the one before that. It was good just being among it.

"You see the standards set and it just makes you more hungry. It makes you want to get in there again. That's definitely something I want, to be in that squad.

"Firstly, I need to do the performances here, that's the most important thing. If that happens, then that's a dream come true. You can't look at that just now, you need to focus. It's a long way to go until [next year's World Cup].

"If I can get on that plane, then that's great but right now, the most important thing is the games for Hibs."

Hibs head coach David Gray believes there is more to come from Mulligan after the midfielder's impressive form following his summer arrival on a free from Dundee.

"He's still very young, he's got a lot of growing and developing to come," said Gray before Saturday's home Premiership match against Dundee United.

"He's settled in really quick in terms of coming to a new club, settled in well. [He's had the] benefit of having played in the league and having a little bit of an understanding of what he's like as a character, and as a boy, because you do your work, speaking to players he's played with, and coaches that he's worked with before.

"So you almost get a bit of reducing the risk when you bring a player in, because I think there's always risks when you sign players, as to exactly how quickly they can settle, he's certainly one that's hit the ground running.

"He's enjoying his football, and rightly so, because of the level of performance he's doing at the minute.

"The biggest thing for us is keeping him working hard, and improving him, because there's a lot more to come for Josh, we know that."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter in Prague

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Trying to gatecrash the Scotland squad for next summer's World Cup is "a big motivator" for Aberdeen striker Kevin Nisbet.

The last of Nisbet's 11 caps came as a substitute late in the second half as the Scots defeated Georgia 2-0 in a Euro qualifier at Hampden in 2023.

"Obviously the World Cup is coming up which is a big motivator for me so it is just up to myself now to go and get myself in the squad," the 28-year-old said.

"For me it is just about getting as many goals up until maybe January and then kind of looking from there.

"I have been around the squad, I have been to the Euros, so I know how good it is. The motivation is there, I have been there and it is just about me trying to get in the squad.

"To go to a World Cup would be great but right now it is just full focus on Aberdeen."

Nisbet returned to the Dons on a three-year deal from Millwall in the summer after impressing on loan last term where he netted 14 in 38 appearances.

Nisbet has scored just twice this season, both in the past six games, and believes he is finding form after a disjointed start.

Speaking before Thursday night's Conference League dead rubber away to Sparta Prague, he said: "I think I have grown into the season.

"I came off the back of a broken pre-season as well, similar to last year, and just trying to get minutes under my belt.

"I think probably the last three or four weeks I have been putting in good performances so it has been great.

"I feel I am up to speed now, I feel I can impact games more. The longer the games go on I am not as tired, not as leggy any more, so it is going to be an interesting season."

The Scottish FA is guaranteed to bank a bumper £8.8m just for being at the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and can make it £9.35m if they can make it out of the group stage for the first time. (Scottish Sun), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hearts have had no approaches to take Craig Gordon on loan and the Scotland goalkeeper is "too important" for the Scottish Premiership leaders in any case, head coach Derek McInnes has revealed.

The 43-year-old has yet to play for the Edinburgh club this season after Alexander Schwolow cemented his place following the German's arrival from Union Berlin while Gordon was injured.

Gordon regained his Scotland place in recent World Cup qualifiers against Belarus and Denmark and will be keen for club playing time before this summer's tournament in North America.

But McInnes insisted "nobody's asked" about his availability.

"Craig's too important for us," he said. "We're fortunate we've got good goalkeepers here.

"If we want to do what we want to do this season, we want to have the strongest squad possible. I'm just glad he's fit and available and there to be called upon if we need him, because you just never know when that will be the case."

Meanwhile, McInnes had an update on the expected arrival of new signing Islam Chesnokov following the end of the Kazakhstan winger's contract with Tobol in his homeland.

"He is due in just after Christmas in the intention to bed him in for training," he said. "And hopefully the paperwork goes accordingly that we can get him available for Livingston [3 January].

"There's no guarantees with that, because we don't control that, but we're trying to tick all the boxes and jump through all the right hoops to get that to the stage."

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Former Scotland and Aberdeen defender Mikey Devlin has announced his retirement from professional football at age 32.

He had been without a club for six months after being released by Ayr United in the summer.

Devlin made his professional debut with Hamilton, where he racked up almost 150 appearances in a seven-year spell, before joining Aberdeen in 2018.

He won his three Scotland caps in October and November 2019, but was blighted by injuries in the final five years of his career, including stints at Hibernian and Livingston.

Confirming his retirement on LinkedIn, external, Devlin wrote: "After a lot of reflection and contemplation, I feel ready for it. To walk away from a job that was my dream, something I loved deeply and my identity for vast majority of my life was, and is, a challenge. That being said, not only do I feel ready, I feel excited about what's next.

"I'm incredibly proud of what I achieved in my career. Without doubt, representing my country is the highlight.

"The highs and lows are expected, to a degree, but football has the potential to take you to places mentally which you don't have the capacity to make sense of. This was certainly the greatest challenge I faced personally.

"I consider myself unbelievably fortunate to have experienced what I have throughout my 16 years as a professional. I played for brilliant clubs and worked with amazing people."

Devlin will continue as chair of PFA Scotland where he also takes on a new full-time role as head of projects, adding: "I hope my lived experience as a player can influence and guide me as I seek to support and drive change for every other footballer in Scotland."