Scotland had hoped that securing a single point in their match against Spain would be sufficient to secure their place in the Euro 2024 finals next summer.
Unfortunately, they faced a setback as they suffered a 2-0 defeat in Seville. Liverpool’s Andy Robertson, playing as a left-back, sustained a shoulder injury just before halftime in a collision with Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simon.
The Scotland manager, Steve Clarke, confirmed Robertson’s injury and mentioned that he would be returning to Liverpool due to the incident.
During the match at Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla, with the score tied at 0-0, Robertson’s injury occurred when the Spanish goalkeeper landed on him. After an assessment, he was substituted off, and as he left the pitch, his shirt was fashioned into an improvised sling for his injured shoulder. Nathan Patterson, Everton’s 21-year-old right-back, replaced Robertson, but goals from Alvaro Morata and Oihan Sancet ultimately led to Spain’s victory.
Speaking about Robertson’s injury after the match, Clarke stated, “Andy has hurt his shoulder. He will go back to his club now.” Liverpool, already dealing with suspensions to Nathan Jones and Diogo Jota, and injuries to Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, and Conor Bradley, faces challenges ahead of their upcoming game against Everton.
Scotland’s chances of qualifying for Euro 2024 were dented by the 2-0 defeat, despite sitting at the top of Group A. Their lead over Spain is now three points, with the pursuing team having a game in hand against Norway. Clarke remains optimistic, stating that their qualification is still within their control. He highlighted the significance of the work done to accumulate 15 points from six games and outlined the scenario where a win for Norway against Spain could keep Scotland’s qualification hopes alive into November.