Steve Clarke has made the daring decision to include Liverpool youngster Ben Doak in his tentative Scotland squad for Euro 2024.

The 18-year-old winger joins a 28-man lineup that features uncapped Bristol City player Ross McCrorie as right wing-back cover due to injuries to usual picks Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson. James Forrest, a Celtic wideman, has been recalled for the first time since September 2021.

He made an impactful comeback to the first-team in the closing weeks of the season, scoring four times in his last seven games to help his team win the title. The rest of the team has a familiar look, with veteran Craig Gordon one of four goalkeepers called up, and Grant Hanley and John Souttar listed as 11 defenders despite recent fitness difficulties.

Hanley has only played eight minutes for Norwich since March 6, while Souttar has missed Rangers’ previous two games after being substituted at halftime in a 2-1 loss at Celtic Park a week ago.

Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack may be regarded a surprise inclusion, having not played since early March owing to a calf ailment. Stuart Armstrong of Southampton also missed the end of the season due to a muscle injury, but both are among eight midfielders, while Doak and Forrest join 31-goal Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland in a five-man forward line that also includes regulars Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes.

Doak’s elevation from the Under-21s is an intriguing development, as the attacker is regarded as one of the brightest prospects to emerge for the national team in recent years, having made five first-team appearances for Liverpool before sustaining a knee injury in December.

He recovered just in time to become Clarke’s main wildcard for the event in Germany, if he makes the final cut. The Scotland head coach will assess his team over the forthcoming pre-tournament training camp, which includes friendlies against Gibraltar and Finland, before deciding on the final 26 who will make the cut by the Uefa deadline of June 7.

Despite the absence of injured stars Hickey, Patterson, and Lewis Ferguson, who has had an outstanding season in Serie A with Bologna, Clarke can be pleased with the strength of his squad, with key players Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, and Scott McTominay all recovering from recent injuries in due course. John McGinn will be firing on all cylinders after leading Aston Villa to the Champions League, and Billy Gilmour has had his greatest Premier League season ever with Brighton.

McCrorie has had a solid second half of the season with Bristol City after recovering from a long-term injury at the turn of the year, and he will compete with Celtic’s Anthony Ralston for the right-wing back position.

Max Johnston, who won the Austrian title with Sturm Graz, misses out, but the 20-year-old’s day will come. There had been appeals for Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong to be included after a good season, but reports of a call-up for Aberdeen’s Connor Barron proved untrue.

There is also no place for Newcastle’s Scottish-qualified players, Harvey Barnes, Tino Livramento, and Elliot Anderson, who have yet to commit.

Scotland will play two friendlies against Gibraltar on June 3 and Finland four days later, before beginning the tournament against host nation Germany in Munich on June 14.

Scotland’s Euro 2024 preliminary squad: Goalkeepers: Angus Gunn, Craig Gordon, Zander Clark, Liam Kelly; Defenders:

Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Grant Hanley, Liam Cooper, Jack Hendry, Scott McKenna, Ryan Porteous, John Souttar, Anthony Ralston, Ross McCrorie, Greg Taylor; Midfielders: Callum McGregor, Billy Gilmour, Kenny McLean, Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Ryan Jack, Ryan Christie, Stuart Armstrong; Forwards: Lawrence Shankland, Che Adams, Lyndon Dykes, James Forrest, Ben Doak.