The China Mail - Robertson and McGinn in Scotland squad bidding for World Cup breakthrough

The Scots last featured at the showpiece tournament in 1998 and Clarke's men are looking to break new ground in North America by becoming the first Scotland side to get out of the group stage at a World Cup.

Full-back Robertson, 32, will leave Liverpool at the end of the season following a nine-year career at Anfield that has yielded two Premier League titles and a Champions League crown.

McGinn, a 31-year-old midfielder, has been a key figure in a Villa revival that has seen the Birmingham club reach the Europa League final and qualify for next season's Champions League.

Napoli's 2024/25 Serie A footballer of the year Scott McTominay, as well as club-mate Billy Gilmour and Bologna's Lewis Ferguson, are all on the plane.

Striker Lawrence Shankland, whose 16 goals and five assists in 29 league outings nearly fired Hearts to the Scottish Premiership title, is also in the squad.

Ross Stewart, a striker with English second-tier club Southampton, has been included and there is a place in the 26-man squad for 43-year-old Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

Stewart has been in the international wilderness for four years, with both of his senior Scotland appearances coming in 2022.

But he has scored 11 goals in 33 appearances in all competitions for Southampton this season, including one in the Championship play-off semi-final win against Middlesbrough.

Scotland face Haiti (June 13), Morocco (June 19) and record five-time world champions Brazil (June 24) in Group C.

The first two group games will take place in Massachusetts, with the final fixture in Miami.

Clarke's side will face Curacao in a friendly at Glasgow's Hampden Park on May 30 before playing their final warm-up game against Bolivia in New Jersey on June 6.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon (Hearts), Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Liam Kelly (Rangers)

Defenders: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Jack Hendry (Al-Ettifaq/KSA), Aaron Hickey (Brentford/ENG), Dom Hyam (Wrexham/ENG), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb/CRO), Nathan Patterson (Everton/ENG), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool/ENG), John Souttar (Rangers), Kieran Tierney (Celtic)

Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth/ENG), Findlay Curtis (Kilmarnock, on loan from Rangers), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna/ITA), Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth/ENG), Billy Gilmour (Napoli/ITA), John McGinn (Aston Villa/ENG), Kenny McLean (Norwich/ENG), Scott McTominay (Napoli/ITA)

Forwards: Che Adams (Torino/ITA), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton/ENG), George Hirst (Ipswich/ENG), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), Ross Stewart (Southampton/ENG)

T.Luo--ThChM