Time to turn our attention to International affairs

After an exciting weekend of Scottish Cup football it is time to turn our attention to Scotland’s game with Northern Ireland on Wednesday.

Scotland travel to Dublin to take on Northern Ireland at the Aviva Stadium for the opening games of the inaugural Carling Home Nations tournament, including the Republic of Ireland and Wales.

As usual Craig Levein has had to deal with call offs ahead of the game. First to call off was Rangers Lee McCulloch who is potentially out for the rest of the season with a knee problem. He was joined over the weekend by Darren Fletcher and Graeme Dorrans.

Wigan’s Gary Caldwell is also doubtful, but Levein has called in his brother Steven along with James McArthur.

Levein has banged on in recent days about the number of players in his squad list who are with English Premier League clubs giving him more quality to pick from. I would suggest his argument doesn’t really add up, two of his centre backs Grant Hanley and Danny Wilson have not played a dozen games between them!

Some of the quality also isn’t there when you consider that many of those playing the Premier League are playing for Wigan, Wolves and West Brom all whom could be in the Championship next season.

That is being a bit picky I suppose and this tournament is important in helping blood some of the younger players and preparing for the Euro qualifiers coming up later in the year.

Full squad;

Goalkeepers: Bell (Kilmarnock) Gordon (Sunderland) McGregor (Rangers)

Defenders: Bardsley (Sunderland) Berra (Wolves) G Caldwell (Wigan) S Caldwell (Wigan Athletic) Hanley (Blackburn Rovers) Hutton (Tottenham Hotspur) Danny Wilson (Liverpool) Mark Wilson (Celtic)

Midfielders: Adam (Blackpool) Bannan (Aston Villa) Brown (Celtic) Commons (Celtic) McArthur (Wigan) Morrison (West Brom)

Forwards: Maguire (Aberdeen) Miller (Bursaspor) Naismith (Rangers) Snodgrass (Leeds United)