Scotland have departed for the FIFA World Cup, boarding a flight to a training base in Florida on Sunday morning — their first appearance at the tournament since 1998.

Head coach Steve Clarke spoke to reporters at Glasgow Airport before departure, setting out his ambitions for the campaign. "This is the third tournament this group has been at and we want to be the first Scottish team to get to the knockout stage," he said. "Hopefully we can show a bit of tournament experience and make it a summer to remember."

Gilmour ruled out, Fletcher steps in

The squad's send-off was overshadowed by a significant injury blow. Billy Gilmour, the Napoli midfielder, sustained an injury during Saturday's friendly victory over Curacao and has been ruled out of the 26-man squad.

Manchester United's Tyler Fletcher, 19, has been called up to replace him. Clarke did not hide his sympathy for the stricken player. "Everybody is devastated for Billy," the head coach said. "It's heartbreaking when it happens at any time during a campaign, but for it to happen in the send-off game is particularly tough."

Scotland last featured at a World Cup in France in 1998. Clarke's side now carry the hopes of a nation as they seek not only to end that long wait but to go further than any Scottish side has managed before — past the group stage.