Kenny McLean and his Scotland teammates are "desperate" for a positive result against "top nation" Croatia in the Nations League. Scotland, under the management of Steve Clarke, are winless in their last eight competitive fixtures and seek to turn their fortunes around.
Scotland will play Croatia on October 12, followed by a match against Portugal at Hampden Park on October 15. The national side has secured just one victory in their last 14 matches, currently sitting at the bottom of their Nations League group after losses to Portugal and Poland last month.
Injuries have compounded Scotland's woes, with 13 players unavailable, including key figures such as Aston Villa's John McGinn and Arsenal's Kieran Tierney. Despite these challenges, McLean, who has 42 caps for Scotland, remains optimistic about their upcoming fixtures. "We'll go to Croatia with the belief that we can get a result," he stated. "If not, we'd be as well staying back here."
As reported by Sky Sports, Scotland's recent performances have raised concerns, with five defeats and three draws in their last eight competitive fixtures. Considering their one win against Gibraltar in their last 14 matches, the upcoming games offer the potential for redemption.
Croatia, ranked 12th in the world, poses a significant challenge for Scotland. McLean acknowledged, "We're up against really good opposition and that's where we want to be. We want to pit ourselves against the best." He emphasised the importance of learning from their experiences against top nations and striving to improve.
The matches against Croatia and Portugal represent an opportunity for Scotland to break their longest winless run in history. McLean is determined to push the team forward, stating, "We need to keep learning from the games we've played against these top nations."