soccer

Scotland lose Maclean and Cornet for World Cup openers

Scotland have lost midfield duo Kirsty Maclean and Chelsea Cornet to injury for their opening World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg.

Melissa Andreatta's team face the 108th-ranked side in a double header at Esch-sur-Alzette on Tuesday, 3 March and Hampden Park four days later.

Liverpool's Maclean, who already has 14 caps, would have been a likely starter, while Birmingham City's Cornet, 27, would have been hoping to make her fourth Scotland appearance.

Maclean, 20, missed Liverpool's FA Cup win over Everton on Sunday, while Cornet was an unused substitute for Birmingham the previous day as they thrashed Chatham Town.

Their places will be taken in the national squad by Rangers defender Leah Eddie, who has four caps, and fellow 25-year-old Amy Rodgers, the Nottingham Forest midfielder who has played for her country 12 times.

Scotland will be strong favourites to start their World Cup campaign with two victories against a side ranked 80 places below them.

The two sides are meeting for the first time, with Belgium and Israel the other sides in European qualification Group H.

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