INJURED Celtic midfielders Scott Brown and Shaun Maloney were today omitted from the Scotland squad for next Saturday's friendly in Wales.
Scott Brown (left) and Shaun Maloney
Neither player travelled with their club to Hamburg for tonight's make-or-break Europa League clash, with Brown still troubled by an ankle problem and Maloney having suffered a heel injury.
Cardiff's Ross McCormack and Birmingham's James McFadden have both been recalled after missing last month's friendly defeat in Japan through injury.
Fellow forward Kevin Kyle is also back in the squad after being unable to accept a late call-up for the Japan game due to a knee problem.
Steven Caldwell, Kenny Miller and Barry Robson also return following injury while three of the players who made their debuts in Japan have been retained – Don Cowie, Graham Dorrans and Lee Wallace.
Celtic left-back Danny Fox is included again after injury denied him a debut in Japan while Kevin Thomson, Alan Hutton and Steven Naismith fall into the same category, but Garry O'Connor and Robert Snodgrass drop out after missing the Japan trip through injury.
Charlie Adam and Ross Wallace have fallen out of the squad despite playing in Japan after being named in the original squad and there is no room for Stephen Hughes, Lee Miller and Craig Conway, who were all late call-ups for the Yokohama clash.
Darren Barr, who was named in the original squad for Japan but was the only outfield player not to get on, has been left out following the return of Burnley defender Caldwell.
Scotland manager George Burley suffered nine call-offs for the Japan friendly, while Kyle and Dundee United midfielder Scott Robertson both had to decline late invitations.
So he is keen to see his side at full strength for the November 14 game at Cardiff City's new stadium.
"We want a strong team," Burley said.
"We haven't got many games for the build-up before the Euros in September.
"Scott Brown and Shaun Maloney are missing through injury but we have got a good balance; young players who went to Japan and were involved; and experienced players back in the squad who have been injured for the past few months.
"I was very impressed with the whole squad who went to Japan. It gives me a bigger squad to choose from.
"We have got 23 there but we have another five or six who are desperate to get in the squad."
