Clarke's Key Selection Decisions for Morocco Clash

Scotland face Morocco on Friday (23:00 BST) at the Boston Stadium in what is their biggest match since the opening World Cup win over Haiti. A point would almost certainly guarantee progression from Group C and a first knockout stage appearance in a major tournament. Victory would remove all doubt and avoid a nerve-shredding final group game against Brazil in Miami next Wednesday.

Manager Steve Clarke faces several key selection calls for this pivotal encounter. Here are the main talking points.

Formation: Back Four or Back Five?

Goalkeeper Angus Gunn is expected to retain his place after a largely untroubled performance against Haiti, aside from one fumbled shot. Scott McKenna missed the opener through injury but is now available. Grant Hanley and Jack Hendry performed well in the first game, so Clarke must decide whether to stick with a back four or switch to a back five with three centre-backs.

“I fully expect a change of shape,” said Andy Halliday on the Scottish Football Podcast. “I think it will be either a 4-5-1, or do we actually go into that five at the back that Steve Clarke's deployed so often? I don't think we can give Morocco the amount of space that we gave Haiti and expect it to get a positive result at the end of it.”

Midfield: Does Ryan Christie Return?

Clarke admitted that omitting Ryan Christie for the Haiti game was one of the toughest decisions of his career. Given Scotland's struggles to retain possession, especially in the second half against the side ranked 83rd in the world, the Bournemouth midfielder could be recalled.

“I think there's no way we see the 4-4-2 against Morocco, so you'd expect one of the strikers to drop out and I think Ryan Christie comes in just for his energy,” said former Hibernian and Celtic midfielder Scott Allan on the Scottish Football Podcast. “We can't consistently give the ball away in the manner that we did against Haiti against a team like Morocco.”

Attack: Who Leads the Line?

If Clarke opts for a more defensive formation, the choice of striker becomes crucial. Lawrence Shankland, in terrific goalscoring form in friendlies against Curacao and Bolivia, struggled to make an impact against Haiti when partnering Che Adams up front.

“I don't think they made it stick as well as they did the previous two games,” said Halliday. “I think Shankland was the one that struggled the most, so I expect that he'll be the one that drops out.”

Adams is a firm favourite of Clarke's, as is Lyndon Dykes, who could provide a more physical presence as a lone striker. However, Ipswich's George Hirst might be a left-field option.

“We need to make sure that we've got a counter-attack and a threat, we've got to make sure we're worrying the opposition. We just can't sit in and wait for a set-play,” former Scotland striker Duncan Ferguson told ITV Sport. “I think I would probably take [Lawrence] Shankland off [the starting line-up]. I don't think that he would suit this game because I think if we're sitting back, we've not got a counter-attack on him. So I'd maybe bring in one of the quicker players, maybe [George] Hirst for instance, who's a bit more mobile than him.”

With so many decisions to make, Clarke's team selection will be crucial in determining Scotland's fate against Morocco.