John Carver has challenged in-form Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland to use his late call-up to the Scotland squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Georgia and Norway to stake his claim for a seat on the plane to Germany next summer.
It was announced on Monday that the 28-year-old Jambos captain had been drafted in by Steve Clarke after Southampton forward Che Adams became the latest high-profile absentee for this week’s campaign-concluding double-header.
Shankland won the last of his five caps in the home win over Spain in March and was left out of the last two squads. However, after taking his tally for the season to 10 goals with five strikes in his last five matches – including a double in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Motherwell – the former Dundee United forward has been rewarded with a recall.
Carver believes Shankland should look towards Watford centre-back Ryan Porteous – now a regular starter – for inspiration as he comes in from the periphery.
“We got a call yesterday regarding Che having an issue with his groin,” said the Scotland assistant manager. “The good news for us is Lawrence popped up with a couple of goals at the weekend against Motherwell so he’s a player in form.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for him. In the past, we’ve had players who have stepped in at the last moment and taken their opportunity. I can use Ryan Porteous as one.
“We went to Ukraine having to get a point in the Nations League, Ryan stepped in (for his debut) and was outstanding, and he’s never looked back since. That happened for him and there’s an opportunity for Lawrence.
“He’s in good form, scoring goals for Hearts, which is important. He’ll want to be on that plane in the 23-man squad. It’s a competitive squad. We know what he can do, but this is an extra opportunity for him over the next seven days because he didn’t expect to be here.”
Lewis Ferguson has joined the squad on the back of a strong start to the campaign in Serie A, recently equalling Denis Law as the highest-scoring Scot in the Italian top flight, and Carver feels the 24-year-old has a chance of asserting himself as a regular starter for the national team by the time the Euros begins.
“It’s great,” he said of Ferguson’s form. “We have some young players pushing their way through and, in particular, Lewis had an extremely good game in Lille (against France last month).
“He’s one who is really developing, he’s playing in a physical league and he’s dealing with it really well. He could be one of the players who forces his way forward and gives Steve an even more difficult decision to make in terms of the opportunity to start (at the Euros).”
Scotland have generally had a fairly settled squad during Clarke’s reign, but Carver explained that no player should view themselves as either guaranteed to be in the squad or out of the picture for the Euros as there is still time for circumstances to change.
In the current squad, for instance, the absence of Adams means Scotland are effectively without five regular starters, with goalkeeper Angus Gunn and defenders Andrew Robertson, Kieran Tierney and Aaron Hickey also out injured.
“I’m sure Steve will have some sleepless nights from now until picking the squad but that’s what he wants, that’s why we’re in the game, we want to make difficult decisions,” said Carver.
“We want players to force the issue and make it even harder for us. There’s going to be disappointment at the end of it, but there is a long way to go from now until the championships.
“A lot of time will pass so players will get injured, players will come into form, but the decision will be made in the best interest of the team.”
Scotland sealed their place at the Euros last month but after losing their last three matches – friendlies against England and France either side of a qualifier away to Spain – Carver is adamant they will not be short of motivation.
“The desire’s there because we’ve lost three games in a row against top-quality opposition,” he said. “It was three of the top 10 sides in Europe so it’s been a great learning curve, but we want to get back to winning ways.
“We have to now press the reset button and go again. It’s great being in the position we’re in but the Euros is in the future, we have to attack the situation now and that is by getting six points in the next two games and making sure that just in case Spain slip up in their last two games, we are ready to take advantage.”
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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