Scotland striker Kevin Nisbet hopes to lead the attack against Moldova but accepts securing a win is all that matters regardless of who starts.
With Lyndon Dykes suspended there is a vacancy to partner Che Adams in attack against minnows Moldova in the World Cup qualifier tomorrow.
Victory in Chisinau will secure Scotland a World Cup play-off spot.
Hibs striker Nisbet would have been in pole position to replace Dykes, but now faces fresh competition from recent call-up Jacob Brown.
Stoke City striker Brown, 23, was called into the Scotland squad for the first time for the double-header against Moldova and Group F leaders Denmark at Hampden on Monday.
Brown, who has netted five times this season for Championship Stoke, qualifies to play for Scotland due to his Glasgow-born mother.
Nisbet said: “It’s about what I do this week in training to show the gaffer I am ready to start and if not then I am ready to come on.
“The main thing for us is just about getting the result.
“Three points is a must for us and that’s what we are looking to do.
“Jacob has come in and settled in very well.
“You can see he is a good player in training, a good finisher, and I think he will add quality to the squad.
“Competition is healthy and keeps everyone on their toes. It makes you go out and want to do well in training and games to keep your spot.
“We are all good friends on and off the park.
“It’s a good group of boys who aren’t like striker haters really.
“They actually want each other to do well.
“It’s up to us to score the goals in Moldova to get us through.”
No concern about recent lack of goals
Nisbet has netted just four goals in 18 appearances for Hibs this season.
The Easter Road side have also suffered a slump in form, having lost their last four Premiership matches.
Any opportunity to emerge from that slump was denied due to a Covid outbreak at the club which saw fixtures against Ross County and Livingston postponed.
Nisbet was not caught up in the Covid outbreak at the club.
He has no concerns his goalscoring form will return – ideally against Moldova if given the game time.
Nisbet said: “Obviously we have had a bad run of results in the league campaign, but it will probably take me a goal and I will be back to normal form.
“I am not too worried at all. I wouldn’t say it’s about picking myself up.
“It’s just one of those things, people go through bad spells, especially strikers.
“I think they get criticised more for it because they aren’t scoring and that’s what their job is.
“I know I will bounce back and score goals and come good again.
“I’ve been getting a lot of stick, but I don’t really get annoyed about stuff I see on social media.
“I don’t really care about it. I just focus on myself.
“I’m not worried at all about my form, because I will always back myself to score goals.”
Nisbet confident of Clarke’s trust
Nisbet has netted just once since August, in a 2-1 loss to Rangers at Ibrox on October 3.
He is confident national boss Clarke backs him to score.
Nisbet said: “I’m delighted to be here and to be given another chance to prove myself.
“But I think the gaffer knows it’s just a wee bit of bad form and that I am a good player.
“I’ve always done well since I have been away with Scotland so I think he trusts me in that sense.”
Scotland’s quality will shine through
Moldova prop up Group F with just one point in the qualifying campaign – from a home draw with fellow minnows Faroe Islands.
Scotland could only edge past Moldova 1-0 at Hampden on September 4 and Nisbet insists they are taking nothing for granted in the return in Chisinau.
He said: “There is still a lot of work to do.
“We need to try and get three points in Moldova and wrap it up as soon as possible.
“I don’t think we’re going into the game over confident.
“It’s still an away tie in international football.
“Any international football match is hard to win.
“Moldova pass the ball well. They didn’t create an awful lot of chances, but the thing they will do is work hard, and they will give it 100 per cent.
“We have to match that and our quality should shine through
“We are going in with the same mindset as we did against Israel and the Faroes, and will hopefully get a good victory and get through.”
Building on Euro 2020 qualification
Victory in Moldova will secure a berth in the play-offs in March for a spot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Scotland are bidding for back-to-back tournament qualifications, having played in the Euro 2020 finals this summer.
Nisbet insists Scotland refuse to look beyond the Moldova game.
He said: “The World Cup is massive.
“The Euros were a great achievement as well, but if we want to progress as a nation then we need to start qualifying for more major tournaments.
“We have put ourselves in a good position to do it.
“Of course the World Cup has a hard route through the play-off, but full focus is on Moldova and securing a place there first before even thinking about the play-off.”
