Welsh will miss Scotland’s final Nations League group games after a scan had eased fears of serious knee damage. Porteous takes his place for matches against North Macedonia and Switzerland.
Scotland called up Ryan Porteous after Stephen Welsh withdrew from the squad for its final 2 Nations League group matches, according to a 7 November report. Scotland later called up defender David Bates after Luis Binks withdrew.
Bates plays for Amedspor in Turkey and last appeared for Scotland in 2019. He has 4 international appearances, known as caps, and could play for the national team for the first time in 7 years. Binks, a Brondby defender, earned his first 3 caps in Scotland’s opening 4 matches of the competition.
Swansea City center-back Welsh faced a challenge from Ebou Adams in a 3-1 defeat at Portsmouth on 3 November, raising fears of serious knee ligament damage. Those fears appeared to ease on 5 November, and a scan found no significant problem; and Swansea had hoped he could play some part against Birmingham City on 7 November, BBC Sport said. The Scottish FA subsequently announced his withdrawal.
Welsh earned all 4 of his Scotland caps after Sebastien Pocognoli became head coach in the summer. Porteous last played for Scotland under Pocognoli’s predecessor, Steve Clarke, in March 2025, when he came on late for his 13th cap in a 1-0 Nations League play-off win in Greece.
Porteous, formerly of Hibernian, has made 35 appearances this year for Los Angeles, having left Watford for the club in August after finishing the preceding season on loan at Preston.
Scotland hosts North Macedonia on 13 November and visits Switzerland on 16 November. In its November 1 summary, the Scottish FA placed Scotland third in Group B1 after a win away to North Macedonia, a draw away to Slovenia and home defeats by Switzerland and Slovenia.
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The Scottish FA says Scotland needs at least 4 points from those matches to keep a chance of reaching the promotion play-offs, because Slovenia has the better head-to-head record. One point would guarantee Scotland avoids the League B relegation play-off.
League B runners-up enter promotion play-offs against League A teams, while fourth-placed League B teams face League C runners-up for places in League B. The play-offs are scheduled for late March 2027.
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Update ·
Revised from the day's reports.
Update ·
The update adds David Bates’s call-up to replace Luis Binks.
