Scotland boss Steve Clarke has options to fill the void left by Ryan Fraser’s injury.
Fraser played a key part in victories over Slovakia and Czech Republic last month, scoring against the latter in an advanced role alongside Lyndon Dykes.
However a hamstring problem picked up prior to Newcastle’s game against Southampton rules out Fraser from the triple-header against Serbia, Slovakia and Israel over the next week.
Clarke said: “Losing Ryan Fraser caused me to rethink a little but I’ve got really good options in the squad. I’ve always had half an idea about how I was going to go into these matches but obviously when you lose a player who had done well for us last month, it means you have to make a change.
Ryan Fraser set to miss Scotland’s Euro 2020 play-off final against Serbia
“But the boys in the squad have all had their moments this week in training. We’ve chopped and changed one or two positions to see who looks most comfortable together and then it’s up to me to come up with the final decision.
“But, you’re right, we lost six of the original squad last month but the boys who came into the team didn’t let themselves down. They did very well which is why they are all in the squad again and why they are making my job difficult to pick a team.”
Leigh Griffiths has been recalled to the squad for the first time under Clarke, after some promising performances for Celtic.
Oli Burke, who moved to Sheffield United in the summer, would be a pacy like-for-like replacement for Fraser, while Ryan Christie and Stuart Armstrong have been in good club form and could drop in as a second striker.
Clarke added: “There are lots of solutions. I’m still an Oli McBurnie fan because I think he’s still got a lot to offer us.
“When you look at the last two games he’s hit the frame of the goal twice and you’re always thinking in the back of your mind, ‘He’s a due a goal – there’s a goal going to come from him,’.
“I’ve also got Oli Burke who can give you that pace up front that Ryan Fraser gave us. Ryan Christie was in the team and doing well for me before when he played up beside Lyndon.
“So I’ve got man, many options. I can also tweak the system a little bit to accommodate two attacking midfield players as opposed to one.”
