Scotland vs Ukraine World Cup semi-final play-off: Callum McGregor says Scots must focus on gameplan | Football News

Callum McGregor says Scotland’s players have sympathy for the “horrific” situation in Ukraine but must focus on their own game in Wednesday’s World Cup play-off, live on Sky Sports.

The game was originally scheduled to take place on March 24, but was postponed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Celtic skipper McGregor recognises the “real horrific” situation in Ukraine but insists Steve Clarke’s side will focus, as will their opponents, on getting to the play-off final against Wales in Cardiff, to be played on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.

McGregor said: “Obviously we understand the situation and we have sympathy for it. You turn on the news every day and something else is happening.

“It is a real horrific situation. Ultimately the build-up to the game and most of the talk will probably be around that.

“But I think it is important as well that we realise we have a job to do. We want to get our country to a major tournament.

“It is a game of football and when both teams cross the line they will be just as motivated as each other to progress and get to the next stage of the play-off.

“So, we can’t be thinking about anything else now. Our full focus is the game plan.”

Asked about the notion that most neutrals will be hoping for a Ukraine win, the midfielder said: “That’s fine. Everybody has got their opinion, that doesn’t bother us at all as a group.

“We are professional, we have a job to do, as have they. The guys in their camp will be thinking exactly the same, they will be blocking all the noise out from outside and fully focused on their gameplan.”

Naismith: Robertson will not need picking up | Patterson to prove fitness

Scotland coach Steven Naismith does not believe Scotland skipper Andy Robertson – whose Liverpool side lost the Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris on Saturday night – will need picking up when he joins up with the squad.

He said: “When he meets up, naturally the players and everybody will have that chat about the experience, the build-up, the way the game went.

“From now until the game there is a lot of information to the players and that becomes the focus.

“The disappointment is going to be there but his experience now of these occasions is far greater than anyone else in the squad.

“Once he comes into the squad and the environment changes, the focus then changes and the reward of this game is just as big, he could be leading his country to a World Cup in one game’s time if we can get the win.

“Robbo is a class act, a leader and he will be ready for Wednesday, no matter what, I’m sure.

“He has shown that he loves playing for his country, it is one of the biggest honours you have so to take them to the Euros and have the prospect of taking them to a World Cup will be the thing that drives him, I’m sure.”

Nathan Patterson will also have two days to prove his fitness. The 20-year-old right-back has struggled for game-time at Everton since moving from Rangers in January and had ankle surgery at the beginning of April.

Naismith is confident Patterson, who has not played since Scotland drew 2-2 with Austria at the end of March, will not let down his country if he is declared fit for the crunch game at Hampden Park on Wednesday night, the winners of which will take on Wales in the play-off final in Cardiff.

After a training session at Scotland’s base in Oriam, Edinburgh, Naismith said: “Nathan was on the pitch.

“He is obviously the one who came in with being injured but he has the next two days on the pitch to show that he is ready and fit.

“I think he is probably one of the ones in the squad that I have compared, in terms of his natural fitness, to Alan Hutton, who went long periods and never played (for his club) but performed well for Scotland.

“Nathan has shown that when he wasn’t playing for Rangers, he played for Scotland, he played very well.

“So from that side everyone is comfortable that he could be ready and be in contention. But there is still two days for the manager to pick the team.”