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Celtic defender Kieran Tierney...

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Celtic defender Kieran Tierney unavailable for next Scotland squad


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Celtic full-back Kieran Tierney has confirmed that he will miss Scotland's upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers against Cyprus and Belgium.

The 21-year-old is available to play for the Hoops in Saturday's Scottish Cup final against Hearts and will then go under the knife for a double hernia operation.

Tierney has admitted that he is disappointed not to be available for new head coach Steve Clarke’s first squad.

"I would love to, obviously, go away with Scotland but unfortunately the operation is booked for a few days after the cup final so that would rule me out," Tierney said on Wednesday.

"Of course you're frustrated, you want to go away [with the Scotland squad], you want to make an impression with the new manager but I need to think of myself long-term as well, that the best thing would be to get the operation as soon as I can."

Kieran Tierney has had an injury-disrupted season at Parkhead

Tierney's last appearance was in the 3-0 win away to Aberdeen on May 4 that sealed Celtic's eighth consecutive Scottish Premiership title.

The defender was almost ever-present for the first half of the season but his appearances became more sporadic after that with what was originally thought to be a hip injury.

"It started off as something else and it led to this, but it's nothing long-term, the operation will fix it and that's the good news," said Tierney who is only expected to be out for up to six weeks.

That would make him available for the club's Champions League qualifying matches which begin in July.

Clarke was only officially unveiled as the successor to Alex McLeish on Tuesday this week, after leaving the managerial post at Kilmarnock, and he is expected to name his first squad next week.

Scotland currently lie fifth in their Euro 2020 qualifying group after beating San Marino, a result that was preceded by a shock defeat away to Kazakhstan.

Their next pair of matches, in early June, are at home to Cyprus before facing Belgium away.


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