McCall winning fight for fitness

As one door slammed on Scotland with the news that Gary McAllister had returned home, another one opened when Stuart McCall revealed that he might be fit to face Estonia in tomorrow's World Cup Group Four qualifying match.

A hamstring strain forced McCall's substitution at half-time during Saturday's victory in Latvia, after which Craig Brown, the Scotland manager, announced that he was definitely out of the second half of Scotland's Baltic tour. Yesterday, Brown was pleased to admit he may have underestimated the speed of the Rangers midfielder's recovery.

"He's coming on very well and is talking about the possibility of playing," Brown said. "We phoned Ibrox and the doctor is happy that he stays, but we've told Stuart that unless he's 100 per cent we won't play him, and even then we might have to save him from himself."

John Spencer, the Chelsea striker, is the only other casualty from Riga. "A hamstring injury is making the alarm bells ring in his head," said Brown, who can ill afford to lose anyone from his already depleted squad at this stage. The one Under-21 player deemed ready to be drafted into the senior side, Charlie Miller of Rangers, was also injured at the weekend.

McAllister is already home, nursing a nagging groin and a grievance against the over- zealous referee who, by booking him for saying "You're joking", ensured his suspension for the visit to Estonia. Brown said that McAllister, as a supporter as well as the captain, had been anxious to stay.

"But in the interests of his club's televised match against Southampton on Sunday, we suggested he phoned Gordon Strachan [Coventry's assistant manager] who thought it appropriate that he returned for treatment.

"We get players on loan from their clubs, and the onus was on us to offer Gary the chance to go back. It would have been on our conscience if we'd kept him until Thursday and he hadn't made it for his Premiership game."