- 20-year-old Newcastle midfielder pulls out with injury
- Youngster still eligible for either Scotland or England at full international level
- No replacement confirmed to date
Newcastle United’s 20-year-old midfielder Elliott Anderson has been forced to withdraw from the Scotland squad for their upcoming matches against Cyprus and England due to an injury.
Last month, Anderson received his first senior call-up to the Scotland national team, following what national boss Steve Clarke described as “good discussions” with the player and his family. Despite being born in Whitley Bay, Anderson is eligible to represent Scotland at the senior level due to his family heritage, as he qualified through his grandmother.
Scotland’s upcoming fixtures include a vital Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus and a high-profile friendly against England. Anderson’s inclusion in the squad had generated significant interest, given his previous flirtation with representing England at the Under-19 level in 2021. However, he later returned to the Scotland setup, making a single appearance for the Under-21 team last year. Importantly, Anderson has yet to earn a full cap for either nation, which means he remains eligible to play for either Scotland or England.
As of now, Scotland has not announced a replacement for Anderson in their squad for the upcoming matches.
Betting Implications
As far as Scotland are concerned, Anderson’s absence means that they have one less attacking midfielder to call upon. Therefore this should not greatly affect the odds leading up to either of the two fixtures in this round of internationals. Anderson may go on to be a hugely important player for the Scots, however, the youngster is yet to make his full debut, therefore the impact of his absence cannot be measured.
Premier League punters should monitor his fitness as Anderson has the potential to make an impact for Newcaste from the bench and, with other midfielders struggling for form and fitness, come into the starting line up and make a difference. It would be a blow to Newcastle if he was missing for an extended period.
