Scotland blow as Gilmour is ruled out of World Cup
Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a knee injury in his side's 4-1 win over Curacao, the Scottish Football Association has announced.
The 24-year-old, who plays for Napoli, sustained the injury during Scotland's final warm-up match ahead of the tournament and will return to his club to begin rehabilitation.
"I am devastated for Billy because he has been an integral part of our [FIFA] World Cup qualifying campaign," Scotland manager Steve Clarke said.
"The timing of this injury is so cruel and we all feel for him."
Gilmour featured prominently in Scotland's successful qualifying campaign and had been expected to play a key role at the tournament.
"He knows what we all think of him as a footballer and a person," Clarke added. "I am certain Billy will have many major tournaments ahead of him in the future."
Scotland begins its first FIFA World Cup campaign since 1998 against Haiti on 14 June (AEST) before facing Morocco and Brazil in Group C.
Gilmour has played 46 times for Scotland, scoring twice.
Tyler Fletcher, the son of former Manchester United stalwart Darren, is among the options to replace Gilmour.
Clarke said: "I've got Connor Barron, Andy Irving, Lennon Miller, and you see for yourself how good young Tyler is.
"The three that I mentioned are on standby. Obviously, Tyler joined us this week. He's trained well this week, so he's a little bit closer than the other three, but I'd need to have a big discussion with my staff and decide the best way to go."
