5 talkings points as Scotland stand-ins seize chance to clinch Nations League promotion and bank Euro 2024 playoff

Steve Clarke’s super stand-ins made sure Scotland will be the A-team in the Nations League after battling to the point they needed against Ukraine in Krakow to secure promotion - and a Euro 2024 playoff.

The national team gaffer had a lengthy list of players who were unavailable from captain Andy Robertson who was ruled out of this international break to the likes of Kieran Tierney who was forced off against Ireland, Scott McTominay through suspension and Lyndon Dykes who was one of a number to suffer from a virus and was introduced late on.

But the patched-up Scots got the result they needed in the Cracovia Stadium as they earned a goalless draw to top Group B1 and will now be in with the big boys in a couple of years time while boosting their chances of reaching E

Clarke didn’t have his troubles to seek with a lengthy list of absentees and the defence in particular was makeshift with Ryan Porteous coming into the rearguard for his senior international debut.

Ukraine couldn’t live with Scotland at Hampden six days earlier and Clarke’s men were on the front foot again as they pressed from the first whistle and Che Adams almost fired them into a dream early lead when his effort was tipped round the post by Andriy Lunin.

But there was a huge let off at the other end for Clarke’s men after brilliant play from Mykhaylo Mudryk - a player Celtic know all about after his exploits for Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League - who picked out Andriy Yarmolenko but he blazed over with only Craig Gordon to beat.

Gordon would have had little chance had the effort inside the six-yard box been on target but the Hearts keeper came to the rescue midway through the first half when he denied Artem Dovbyk after a brilliant ball from