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Scotland manager Steve Clarke has raised concerns about the sharpness of Ben Gannon-Doak ahead of the country’s first World Cup campaign since France 98.
Clarke described the £25m Bournemouth winger as looking “rusty” after a clunky 45-minute display in Scotland’s Hampden send-off against Curacao last weekend.
The performance stood in sharp contrast to that of Rangers winger Findlay Curtis, who came off the bench to make an immediate and decisive impact on the game.
Curtis scored a quick-fire equaliser shortly after coming on, then won the second-half penalty that Ryan Christie converted as Scotland ran out comfortable 4-1 winners.
The stark difference between the two players has given Clarke serious food for thought as Scotland prepare to open Group C action against Haiti in Boston on June 14.
Clarke is expected to hand Gannon-Doak further opportunity to prove his fitness and form in a final warm-up fixture against Bolivia in New Jersey.
However, Clarke made clear he needs significantly more from the young Bournemouth star if he is to hold off the surging challenge from Curtis, who forced his way into the squad on the back of a blistering loan spell at Kilmarnock.
Clarke said: “If you watched the game at the weekend you would have seen that Ben is obviously lacking minutes and looks a little bit rusty.”
The manager explained that the Bolivia match would serve as a crucial opportunity, saying: “For him, against Bolivia it will be about trying to get more minutes into him and see if he can just slow down and relax a little bit on the part of the game that he needs to work on.”
Clarke was notably enthusiastic when turning his attention to Curtis, highlighting the winger’s confidence and timing as key factors in his favour right now.
“Findlay has come off the end of the season in a totally different situation,” Clarke said. “He’s on a high, he’s doing this, he’s doing that and his goal at the weekend might have been scruffy but he scored it because he’s touch sharp.”
Clarke added that Curtis carries himself well within the squad environment, describing him as a player with strong personal qualities alongside his footballing ability.
“He’s very confident and he’s a really good boy. I really like him. His personality is good, he’s good around the place,” the Scotland boss said.
Clarke acknowledged that tournament football often rewards players who arrive at the right moment mentally, suggesting youthful confidence could prove decisive in the United States.
“Sometimes it all comes down to timing. Sometimes it’s young players who turn up, sometimes it’s the more senior players,” he said.
The Scotland manager closed on an optimistic note, expressing hope that multiple players could step up and deliver during the tournament rather than relying on a single standout performer.
“But if the mood is right and the moment is right then hopefully we can get more than just one hero – hopefully we can get two or three,” Clarke said.
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