Scotland's World Cup preparations have suffered a significant setback as influential midfielder Billy Gilmour has been ruled out of the tournament due to a knee injury. The 24-year-old Napoli player sustained the problem during Scotland's 4-1 friendly victory over Curacao at Hampden Park on Saturday.
Injury Incident
Gilmour went down unchallenged in the first half, clutching his knee, and required medical attention. After receiving treatment on the pitch, he was substituted off before the end of the first half and walked off unaided, initially raising hopes that the issue might not be serious. However, subsequent tests confirmed the extent of the damage, forcing him to withdraw from the squad that is set to depart for the World Cup in two weeks.
Official Statement
The Scottish National Team released a statement on social media platform X, saying: “We regret to announce that the knee injury sustained by Billy Gilmour in today’s win over Curacao will rule him out of participation in @FIFAWorldCup. We're all with you, Billy.” Gilmour will now return to his club, Napoli, for rehabilitation.
Manager's Reaction
Scotland manager Steve Clarke expressed his disappointment, stating: “I am devastated for Billy because he has been an integral part of our World Cup qualifying campaign. The timing of this injury is so, so cruel and we all feel for him. He knows what we all think of him as a footballer and a person, and while no words will give him any comfort tonight, I am certain Billy will have many major tournaments ahead of him in the future.”
Gilmour had been a key figure in Scotland's midfield alongside his Napoli teammate Scott McTominay, and his absence leaves a significant gap in the squad. Scotland are scheduled to play a warm-up match against Bolivia on June 6 before their opening World Cup group game against Haiti in Boston on June 14.
