National boss Steve Clarke insists he has to be selfish and put Scotland first ahead of the needs of clubs.
Clarke is well aware of the ‘boundaries’ when dealing with clubs and how they want to protect their players while on international duty.
However, he insists that, while a player is in his squad, Scotland will come first.
Queens Park Rangers boss Mark Warburton made his displeasure clear about striker Lyndon Dykes’ inclusion in the Scotland squad.
Dykes has not played for QPR for six weeks due to a hamstring injury.
However, Dykes met up with the Scotland squad on Thursday.
Clarke insists Dykes, who has netted in each of his last four caps, is fit and ready to face Austria in tonight’s friendly in Vienna.
Clarke said: “I just have to do my job. My job is to put a winning team on the pitch for Scotland’s national team.
“I’ve been a club manager and understand the boundaries and how everybody wants to look after their own players at their clubs.
“Everybody has to be selfish, but I have to be selfish when they come into camp.
“When they come into camp, I get to borrow those players for 10 days, or whatever it is.
“I have to utilise them as I see fit, to do the job that I need them to do for their country.”
Dykes is ‘good to go’ against Austria
Dykes has not played for his club since a 2-0 loss to Millwall on February 15.
Prior to Clarke naming his 24-man squad for the friendlies, QPR boss Warburton, a former Rangers manager, said: ‘if he is not fit for us, he is not fit for Scotland’.
Clarke insists Scotland were given the green light to take Dykes into the squad.
He said: “I spoke to Mark (Warburton) before, but haven’t spoken to him since.
“Lyndon did his work with QPR and QPR said he was free to come up and join us on the Thursday.
“He did that and he watched the game against Poland.
“Since then he’d had a couple of training sessions and Lyndon is good to go.
“He wants to be involved.
“Obviously we have to be mindful of the fact he hasn’t played for over six weeks now.
“It’s been a long time out, so it’s nice to have him back in the squad.
“It’s important to have him with the group.”
Clarke aims to extend unbeaten run
Scotland boss Clarke will welcome back captain Andy Robertson for tonight’s friendly in Austria.
Liverpool left-back Robertson, 28, missed the 1-1 draw with Poland due to Covid.
The Scots were denied a seventh straight win when Poland levelled via a controversial injury time penalty.
With a postponed World Cup semi-final with Ukraine still to be played, Clarke wants the positive momentum to continue in Vienna.
He said: “It was a winning run until the other night when the referee intervened at the end of the game.
“It would be nice to still be speaking about a winning run!
“However, if we can keep the unbeaten run going through the back of this friendly with Austria and into the competitive games in June, then that would be good for us.
“What I’m looking for really is a good performance on the pitch. And if I get a good performance the result should follow.”
Hopes of a repeat result in Vienna
Scotland return to Vienna just six months after a 1-0 World Cup play-off defeat of Austria.
That result rejuvenated the World Cup qualifying campaign and was fundamental to the Scots finishing runners-up to secure a play-off spot.
Clarke said: “It was a pivotal result for us.
“It was a big result and on the back of that we managed to hit the winning run that meant we finished the group really well and took second place off Austria.
“Austria went into that game as favourites for the second position so it was pivotal for both teams.
“That result made second place easier for us, so you have to go away and perform and get the right results.”
Austria coach Foda to step down
Austria lost 2-1 to Wales in Cardiff on Thursday in their World Cup play-off semi-final.
The two teams were playing for the right to set up a final clash against the winners of the Scotland – Ukraine semi.
Austria manager Franco Foda has since announced he is stepping down after tonight’s friendly.
Clarke said: “He can go out with his head held high.
“He took his country to Euro 2020, coming out of the group stage and pushing the eventual winners all the way in extra-time.”