As Scotland gear up for their first World Cup campaign for 28 years, one of their group stage opponents has been left reeling from a key injury blow.
Steve Clarke’s men begin their first World Cup campaign since France '98 in the early hours of Sunday morning when they take on Haiti in Boston.
Matches against fellow Group C opponents Morocco and Brazil will then follow over the next ten days, as the Scots bid to get out the group stage at a World Cup for the first time in their history.
Morocco suffer key injury blow
If Clarke’s men are to progress into the knockout stages, a fast start against Haiti - currently at number 83 in FIFA’s world rankings - will be necessary, which would then set up what would likely be a pivotal game against Morocco.
The African side come into the tournament ranked as the seventh best team in the world and were recently crowned AFCON champions after Senegal were stripped of the title following the controversy-packed final between the two sides back in January.
One of Morocco’s key players during that tournament was Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli, but in a potential boost for the Scots is now a key injury doubt for the tournament which kicks off this week.
Ezzalzouli was replaced at half-time of Morocco’s final World Cup warm-up match against Norway on Sunday with what looked to be a knee problem, while Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui was also withdrawn with a partial shoulder dislocation.
And while Mazraoui looks set to be fit for the tournament, the outlook on Ezzalzouli is not as promising for the Atlas Lions.
The 24-year-old was being touted as one of the tournament’s breakout stars following a superb season with Betis which saw him net 15 goals and lay on a further 13 assists from the left-hand side.
“What worries me the most is the injury to two of our players, Noussair Mazraoui and Abde Ezzalzouli. We are waiting for the results of the medical examinations,” Morocco boss Mohamed Ouahbi said after the Norway friendly which ended in a 1-1 draw.
According to journalist Hanif Ben Berkane, Ezzalzouli has suffered a sprained interal knee ligament and faves a three-to-four week layoff, which will likely rule him out for the entire tournament.
Ezzalzouli has recently been linked with a move to Newcastle United as a potential replacement for Anthony Gordon, who joined Barcelona in a £70million move earlier this summer. Ezzalzouli is a former Barcelona academy graduate who scored 15 goals and registered a further 13 assists for Betis last season.
Morocco begin their campaign against Brazil on Saturday evening at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and close it out the group stage against Haiti on Wednesday, June 24.
