Strachan is left to sweat over Martin injury worry

Scotland could suffer a THIRD injury blow ahead of tonight’s clash with Germany.

Russell Martin, the country’s No. 1 centre-half, faces a late fitness test at the Westfalenstadion after missing last night’s training with a groin strain.

And, as manager Gordon Strachan admitted, he may now join Andrew Robertson and Christophe Berra in sitting out the opening Euro 2016 qualifier. If so, either Gordon Greer or, less likely, Mark Reynolds will be thrust into action alongside 22-year-old Grant Hanley.

Manager Gordon Strachan said: “Only the player himself can tell you how he is feeling. But Russell felt it a bit on Friday so we took him out of training as a precaution. We’ll see how he is on the day, and name the team after that.

“But if you look at it, we have been doing alright at centre-half. We have been getting on well. The results from the games that Gordon Greer has come in and played with Hanley have been okay.”

The national manager refused to confirm whether Allan McGregor will be preferred to rival David Marshall for the goalkeeper’s jersey.

Indeed, he mischievously hinted that Celtic’s No 1 Craig Gordon, who has only just returned to the international game after two years out injured, could pip them both.

“I think the first person you tell is the guy involved,” said Strachan. “I have to speak to three goalies now because they are all that good.

“That is great but it is not only them. Over the week, there have been about three or four positions where I have found it very hard to pick.”

Meanwhile, Strachan knows not one of Scotland’s performances from his 20 months in charge would be good enough to beat Germany. Yet, as he prepares to send his side out to face the world champions at the Westfalenstadion tonight, the national manager insists he HAS seen enough from his players to believe can be done.

“I would have to pick bits from some different games,” he said. “The defensive resilience from our win in Croatia, the bravery shown against England at Wembley, the attacking flair against Nigeria I would throw a bit of all of that in there.

“However, we would need it all. I say that because I don’t think there is one single performance that, in isolation, would give us victory. The attitude against England really pleased me. Yes we lost but we showed great spirit nevertheless. But that was a friendly and you can just flow with these games to an extent. And as well as we played against Nigeria at Craven Cottage, the same applied to that match.”

The win in Croatia was a competitive match, a World Cup qualifier against the team then ranked fourth in the world. Yet with the country ruled out of the running for Brazil by then, there are still those who claim Strachan’s side have yet to seriously be tested.

While it is an argument the manager dismisses, he is happy to dip into the pool of positive results achieved by teams under his predecessors in search of examples of what miracles can be achieved.

“We will talk about James McFadden’s goal wonder in France,” he said. “We will also talk about Gary Caldwell’s goal against France that helped us beat them at home. I will stress how in those games, especially the one at Hampden, our defenders demonstrated tremendous commitment. I don’t think Scotland had another chance at goal in the home game.

“As I remember, we defended that well and defended so bravely that in the end the French got bored. They had all the possession but they ran out of ideas how to make chances. And a lot of that was down to our defence who were terrific.

“Most people just remember Gary Caldwell for the goal but there was also some phenomenal defending. That is what we will need in Dortmund.”

Sometimes, Strachan admits, even the best isn’t good enough.

“What I can’t plan for is some brilliance from Germany’s players,” he admitted. “This is a team who have world class individuals all over the pitch. I am a huge fan of the two lads who will be missing, Philip Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger, but we know they will be extremely strong.

“We have to do our best, though. It would be wrong to say we have nothing to lose. If we go over there and lose five or six nil it will hurt, you can be sure of that. We have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”