St Johnstone face a Hampden injury sweat after Glenn Middleton limped off during Scotland U21s’ defeat against Belgium.
The on-loan Rangers forward was withdrawn at Tannadice following a tireless hour of leading the line on his own.
Middleton was in visible discomfort as he trudged off to be replaced by Dapo Mebude.
Boss Scot Gemmill later mooted that Middleton may have suffered a hamstring strain, albeit that will become clearer when he reports for Saints duty later this week.
The 21-year-old’s availability for Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Celtic must be considered in the balance.
“I honestly don’t know at the moment,” said Gemmill when asked about the fitness of Middleton. “Glenn thinks he has pulled his hamstring. However, that is unconfirmed.”
With Stevie May recently ruled out until Christmas, losing another attacker would be nightmare preparation for Saints gaffer Callum Davidson.
Potential Euro 2023 winners
Middleton, however, can be proud of a tireless display for the young Scots despite Belgium claiming a 2-0 victory in Dundee.
He was the trigger for an intense, high-pressing game and Gemmill is adamant Scotland’s approach against a team he believes could win Euro 2023 should be lauded.
“We are disappointed to lose but I thought we were excellent,” said Gemmill. “It was a big challenge for the team because we haven’t played that way before; pressing against a back-three.
“We executed it against a really top team that could go on to win the competition. They’ve got three or four players who play at Champions League level yet I didn’t think there was a lot in the game.
“I know we lost but there’s more to it than that at this age level.”
