Five key decisions for Steve Clarke ahead of Haiti vs Scotland
The Scotland managerās starting XI against Haiti is almost nailed-on but there are a few important calls still to make for their World Cup opener
Scotlandās first World Cup match in 28 years is now moments away and while many fans back home might be planning how to stay awake for the 02:00 BST kick off in the early hours of Sunday morning, national team manager Steve Clarke will be plotting the best route to a vital three points against Haiti.
Scotland are the clear favourites to defeat Haiti, and Clarke knows that a win is essential to his teamās chances of making an even bigger piece of history and becoming the first Scotland team to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup.
This yearās supersized World Cup and its new format mean that eight of the 12 third-placed teams will progress from the groups, giving Scotland a golden chance to advance even if, as expected, they finish below Morocco and Brazil. A win against Haiti might even be enough, depending on the standings in other groups.
Thatās where goal difference could come into play and so, while Scotland will be taking nothing for granted and must be wary of Haitiās pace on the counter, Clarke knows the onus on his team to be proactive and seek to not only win but ideally do so by a margin of a few goals. It should be noted here that Haiti have only lost by a margin of two goals or more three times in the last three years (against Honduras, CuraƧao and Mexico) and so any expectations of a goalfest should be tempered.
The key decisions for Steve Clarke against Haiti
Ahead of Haiti vs Scotland, Clarke has some key decisions to make in terms of his tactics. Much of the line-up picks itself, with Scotland not having a huge amount of depth in the squad, but there is competition in several areas and the small matter of settling on the right formation.
Given the nature of the three group games, it wouldnāt be a surprise to see Clarke pick three different starting line-ups for the three games. Also, as we all know, football is very much a squad game now and the five substitutions will be important, something Clarke has already acknowledged in the build-up to the tournament.
Shankland or Adams or both?
Up front, Scotland are not blessed with an abundance of talent but Clarke surprised many by selecting five centre-forwards in his 26-man squad. ChƩ Adams and Lawrence Shankland formed an effective partnership against Bolivia, scoring three goals between them, in the final warm-up friendly and Clarke may be tempted to get both on the park together again.
In his time as Scotland manager, Clarke has generally preferred systems with a lone striker, but his decision to play a 4-4-2 against both CuraƧao and Bolivia may well be a clue of how he intends to approach the Haiti game, if not the other two group games. Shankland is arguably the best goal poacher in the squad, but Adams offers more movement and work rate and so would likely get the nod if Clarke goes with just one up top.
Gunn or Gordon?
Coming into the tournament there was much talk about how little club football Scotlandās three goalkeepers had played this season, with just seven appearances between them in 2025/26. After playing 90 minutes against Bolivia and being handed the no.1 jersey for the World Cup, it seems that Angus Gunn is in line to start between the sticks ahead of the veteran Craig Gordon.
Who is the best centre-back pairing?
Another area where Scotland lack a bit of quality is at centre-back. John Souttar and Scott McKenna started the CuraƧao game, while Grant Hanley and Jack Hendry got the nod against Bolivia, but any combination of those four might play against Haiti, with the only potential surprise being if Dominic Hyam was involved.
Much like the striker question, the centre back issue is linked to the formation. If Clarke goes for a 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1, as he often has, particularly earlier in his tenure, then Kieran Tierney would start on the left of a back three, an option which has multiple benefits.
Back four or back five?
The advantage of the back three, or back five, depending how you view it, is that you can play Tierney and Andy Robertson together in the same backline. Tierney is coming off a very impressive season on a personal level for Celtic, having scored six goals and provided 12 assists from left-back.
We have seen in the past the flexibility that Tierney can give Scotland from the wide centre back role and he often rotates with Robertson to bomb forward himself and use his pace and delivery as a threat in attack. An extra body in the backline also allows Clarke to include more of his top players and could help compensate for the frailties at centre back against higher-quality opposition.
Ben Gannon-Doak: Starter or super sub?
One of Scotlandās key weapons is 20-year-old winger Ben Gannon-Doak but the Bournemouth player has had an injury-ridden season and therefore, much like Brentfordās Aaron Hickey at right back, he cannot be expected to play 90 minutes in every, or perhaps any, of the group games. Gannon-Doak offers something different and almost unique in the Scotland squad, with the inexperienced Findlay Curtis being the only other natural winger.
That means Clarke has to choose whether to let Gannon-Doak loose from the start and withdraw him after an hour or so, with an eye on the other two games, or whether to rest him and bring him on against tired legs later in the game. One suspects he will get the nod in this game, but might sit out against Morocco or Brazil at the expense of getting another body into the midfield.
Predicted Scotland lineup against Haiti
With all these factors in mind, I think Clarke will go for a proactive 4-4-2 against Haiti, looking to get the best out his strikers and start Gannon-Doak to try to get round a stubborn defence and get service to them. The other two games may well require a different approach, however, and I wouldnāt be surprised to see Tierney start in those games.
Scott McTominay is a slight doubt after suffering a stomach bug, which led him to train and travel separately from the squad ahead of the game, but Scotland fans will be hoping that was a mere precaution for their midfielder star.
Predicted Scotland starting line-up vs Haiti (4-4-2): Gunn; Hickey, Hendry, McKenna, Robertson; Gannon-Doak, McTominay, Christie, McGinn; Shankland, Adams.
