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GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) \u2014 Scotland picked teenager Tyler Fletcher for the World Cup as a surprise injury replacement Sunday despite the midfielder playing less than 20 minutes for Manchester United this season.<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old Fletcher was asked by Scotland coach Steve Clarke to gain experience last week practising with the senior squad, then got a shock call-up after Napoli midfielder Billy Gilmour suffered a knee injury Saturday in a 4-1 win over Curacao in a warmup game.<\/p>\n
Fletcher made his national-team debut Saturday as a half-time substitute and got the World Cup call ahead of players including 19-year-old Lennon Miller, who had a full season in Serie A with Udinese.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just felt Tyler came into the squad this week and showed up really well, did well in the game so that was the thinking,\u201d Clarke said Sunday.<\/p>\n
Fletcher got just two brief appearances off the bench in the Premier League for United, where his father Darren was a 13-season veteran who played 80 times for Scotland, though never at a World Cup.<\/p>\n
Clarke had put midfielders Miller, Connor Barron and Andy Irving on standby two weeks ago when naming his 26-player squad, yet opted to promote Fletcher.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor myself, it was a really difficult night, I haven\u2019t slept much,\u201d Clarke said. \u201cI had to disappoint another three players this morning again, to tell them that they had missed out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fletcher joins 19-year-old Findlay Curtis in the squad, plus 20-year-old Ben Gannon-Doak. They were not born when their 43-year-old teammate Craig Gordon first played for Scotland in 2004.<\/p>\n
When Gordon made his debut as Scotland goalkeeper 22 years ago, Darren Fletcher was in the lineup and scored in a 4-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago.<\/p>\n
Scotland returns to the World Cup after a 28-year wait in a group with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. Scotland start June 13 against Haiti at the New England Patriots stadium in Foxborough.<\/p>\n
___ <\/p>\n
AP soccer: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/fifa-world-cup<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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