Scotland striker Steven Fletcher ruled out of Czech Republic friendly

Steven Fletcher has pulled out of Scotland’s friendly against the Czech Republic through illness.

The Sunderland striker, who is on loan with Marseille, has been with Scotland at their Mar Hall base in Renfrewshire this week but did not join his team-mates as they set off for Prague on Wednesday morning.

The Scottish Football Association wrote on its Twitter account: “Steven Fletcher has not travelled to Prague due to illness.”

Fletcher had been speaking this week of his desire to banish memories of Scotland’s previous trip to Prague in 2010, when he sat in the stand watching a 1-0 defeat while Craig Levein employed his 4-6-0 formation.

The 28-year-old is one of a handful of players who are in both Scotland squads for the friendlies against the Czechs on Thursday and Denmark at Hampden on Tuesday.

Norwich forward Steven Naismith had earlier pulled out of the Prague trip with a hamstring injury, so Gordon Strachan has Tony Watt and Ross McCormack available as his striking options.