Steve Clarke na fuskantar ɗaya daga cikin mafi mahimman yanke shawarari na zaɓin 'yan wasa a lokacin jagorancinsa Scotland, yayin da FIFA World Cup 2026 ta fara. Ƙungiyarsa za ta buga da Haiti ran Lahadi a Boston Stadium (02:00 BST), kuma rikici na tsakiyar filin wasa da dole ya warware zai iya ƙayyade tafiyar Scotland gaba ɗaya a gasar.

Damuwa game da yanayin McTominay na raguwa

A wani ɓangare mai yawa na wannan mako, yanayin Scott McTominay shi ne babban tattaunawar da ake yi a sansanin Scotland. Dan wasan tsakiya na Napoli ya rasa horon wasa kuma ya yi tafiya daban zuwa otal din ƙungiyar tare da likita bayan ya kamu da ciwon ciki, wanda ya haifar da ainihin damuwa game da ko zai samu lafiya don buga.

Amma Clarke ya bayyana a sarari bayan McTominay ya dawo horon wasa ranar Juma'a, yana kiran sa "cikakke" da "a shirye don buga." Kyaftin Andy Robertson ya kasance mafi annashuwa, yana ba da labari mai ban dariya cewa abokinsa kawai yana neman kulawa. Da bukatar jagoranci da kuma wasanni sosai, yanzu ana sa ran McTominay ya fara wasansa.

"Muna farin ciki da iyawar Scott da abin da zai iya kawo wa ƙungiyar," Clarke ya ce. "Amma za mu buƙaci ƙarin 15 don kawo iri ɗaya idan muna son samun gasar inganci."

Wurin McGinn a karkashin tambaya

Rikici mafi ban mamaki na zaɓen ya shafi John McGinn. Kyaftin na Aston Villa ya zauna a benci a lokacin da Scotland suka doke Bolivia 4-0 a wasan horar da mako mai suka a New Jersey, kuma an bar shi gaba ɗaya a nasarar da suka samu kan Curacao a Hampden.

Waɗannan rashi suna da ban mamaki idan aka yi la'akari da gudummawar McGinn ga wannan ƙungiya. A cikin kofuna 86 na ƙasa, ya zura kwallaye 20 — na biyar a jerin wadanda suka fi zura kwallaye Scotland a tarihi — kuma ya ƙara taimakon wasanni 10. Yana zuwa gasar a cikin mafi kyawun nauyi na rayuwarsa, bayan ya jagoranci Villa zuwa kambun UEFA Europa League a ƙarshen matakin gajiya na wasanni 53.

Tsohon dan wasan gaba na Scotland James McFadden ya amince da wahalar halin. "Abin mamaki ne a yi tunanin iya samun ƙungiyar Scotland ba tare da John McGinn ba," ya ce. "Da na yi tsammani ya shiga. Ina fata kawai cewa ɗaya daga cikin 'yan wasan tsakiya ne da ba sa buga wasa ba ɗaya daga cikin 'yan gaba. Ba zan yi mamaki ba da Steve Clarke, a zahiri, amma rashin fara wasan farko ba yana nufin ba zai kasance ɗan wasa mai mahimmanci a wasannin bayan ba."

Tsohuwar dan wasan tsakiya na Scotland Leanne Crichton ta bayyana ra'ayi daban. "A gaskiya, ban ganin muna buƙatar John ya fara wasan farko ba," ta ce. "Na ji ya gaji a Euro. Yanayi mai tsawo ne — yaƙin Turai a Villa, tafiye-tafiye masu alaƙa da shi, da kuma rauni da ya samu a lokacin kakar. Shin da gaske muna buƙatar amfani da shi tun farkon wasa?"

Zaɓuɓɓuka da Clarke ke auna

Idan Clarke yana son McGinn tun farkon wasa, wata hanya ita ce a matsayin dan wasan gefen maimakon karya rukunin tsakiya na McTominay, Lewis Ferguson, Ben Gannon-Doak, da Ryan Christie — haɗin gwiwar da ya yi kyau musamman a rabin farko na wasan da Bolivia.

Neil McCann, tsohon dan wasan gefen Scotland da manajan Kilmarnock, yana da zaɓi a sarari. "Ina so McGinn a dama," ya ce. "Ina son yadda yake zuwa ta hannun hagunsa kuma yana buɗe maɗaukaki mai yiwuwa. Wanene zai fi kyau a matsayin wanda ya zana filin? Ina ganin ya kamata mu sami mutum irin haka."

Haiti an gina su a kan sauri da ƙarfin jiki, wanda ke ƙara matakan tunani ga Clarke. Ko menene ya yanke shawara a Boston Stadium, Scotland ba za su iya ba da damar fara a hankali ba — wannan wasan farko ne da dole a yi nasara don al'ummar da ta jira kusan shekaru 30 don wani lokaci kamar wannan.