Rangers boss expects stars to be left out of Scotland squad
Rangers manager Walter Smith expects that several of his key players will be rested when Scotland take on the Faroe Islands in a friendly game on Wednesday, 17 November.
Scotland national team coach Craig Levein has called on several players from the Scottish Premier League champions over the last few months with six of them — Allan McGregor, Lee McCulloch, David Weir, Steven Naismith, Steven Whittaker and Kenny Miller —
having been involved in the UEFA 2012 European Football Championship qualifying matches against Czech Republic and Spain in October.
However, Levein has indicated that he will allow several of those players to have a breather from their demanding schedules.
Smith said that Levein would likely bear the number of games in which the Rangers players have taken part — including their UEFA Champions League exploits — in mind before naming the squad on Thursday, 11 November.
'Our players have had a lot of games'
He told reporters that: "I think Craig will take that into account. I don't think he will leave them all out but we will just have to wait and see who Craig picks and what his idea of the game is.
"We have other lads away at international level, not just the Scottish ones, and I think every one of their managers are aware that the players are playing a fair number of games and, due to the fact they are friendlies, will show a bit
more care. A lot of players at this time of the season need games but ours have had quite a number."
Meanwhile, former Dundee United boss Levein is set to hand several members of the Under-21 side who narrowly missed out on a trip to the 2011 UEFA Under-21 Football Championship their first chance to play for their country at senior level. Likely to be included
are Liverpool’s former Rangers defender Danny Wilson and Aston Villa forward Barry Bannon.
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