Commons in line for Levein reprieve after Snodgrass injury opens door for Celtic player

Tuesday 9 October 2012

A BIT like the buses this one.

Steven Fletcher trained under the watchful eye of Craig Levein yesterday. Picture: SNS

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Graeme Macpherson and Richard Wilson

You wait ages for the recall of one player to the international set-up, then along comes another one.

Kris Commons, the Celtic midfielder, is in line to receive a belated call-up to Scotland's squad for the World Cup double-header against Wales and Belgium, the player last having represented his country in a friendly against Brazil in March 2011.

Commons has been in fine form at club level this season and was a surprise omission when Craig Levein named his squad last week. An injury doubt over Robert Snodgrass, however, means Commons could yet receive a recall. The 29-year-old has been in international exile since citing tiredness as a reason for missing the Carling Nations Cup in the summer of 2011, while inconsistent form and injuries meant he was not selected last season. Now Levein, who has also lost Grant Hanley to injury, could be set to draft in Commons ahead of Friday's match in Cardiff. "Snodgrass has a sore ankle and was on the bench for Norwich on Saturday, so he's probably a bit touch and go," said Peter Houston, Levein's assistant. "We will monitor him over the next day or so and take it from there. "I think that's probably fair to say [that Commons would replace Snodgrass]. The manager has been talking highly of Kris, saying that he was doing well, and if Snoddy didn't make it, then he would be a possibility. I don't 100% know but I would guess that Kris would be up there if we bring someone else in." Houston expects a decision to be made today on Snodgrass and his troublesome ankle. "We normally rely on the doctors and physios to set a deadline," he explained. "We've spoken to Norwich and they didn't seem too perturbed about the injury – but you have to go by the boy himself. "He knows his body, it's his body, his ankle. He'll know whether or not it's too sore. He only arrived late [Sunday] night and he's been working with the physios and doctors [yesterday]. But, if he's still the same on Tuesday, then I think a decision has to be made – at least with regard to Friday's game." One decision that has been made is the inclusion of the Sunderland striker Fletcher, who admitted yesterday that he wishes he and Levein had sorted their differences out sooner. Fletcher trained with the squad yesterday for the first time in two years, but he acknowledges his self-imposed exile was damaging to himself as well as the national team. "I am desperate to play for Scotland again and, like Craig, I regret that it has taken this long to come about," Fetcher said. "I'm sure we have both done a lot of thinking during the last two years, but the country comes first. It just became apparent that we all needed to move on. The most important thing is I can restart my international career. When I first spoke to Craig again it was fine and was not awkward at all. We both said our piece and agreed that whatever happened, the country comes first. "While it was important we discussed the past and put it to bed, it was more important that we focused on the future," said Fletcher, who is likely to start against Wales on Friday.

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Commons in line for Levein reprieve after Snodgrass injury opens door for Celtic player

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