A knee injury has forced Matt Ritchie to pull out of Scotland squad, not the worst thing to happen just so long as proves nothing serious.

BBC Sport revealed Matt Ritchie was out of the Scotland squad due to injury, now Newcastle United have confirmed he has to be ‘assessed’.

Play-off finals for Premier league football in England and Scotland have just taken place, with a £169m difference.

Newcastle fans left wondering as Matt Ritchie was nowhere to be seen as Scotland took on Canada.

Ahead of England v Scotland, Grant Hanley has yet another former Scottish international giving him stick.

Matt Ritchie is balancing club and international commitments as he looks forward to Scotland’s trip to Slovakia as well as Newcastle’s promotion efforts.

Looking further ahead, Matt Ritchie, Grant Hanley and their teammates take on England at Wembley on Friday 11 November.

Watch three Newcastle United young players on TV today compete in the European Under 17 Championships, as well as the Heed Army live from Wembley.

Spending big has not served Newcastle well, although it did get us close briefly and thrillingly in the nineties. The club suffered from persisting with that policy long term. The end product of that period of lavish spending being nothing but a disjointed squad assembled by various managers. Each one spending millions to their own end and no clear long term thinking at the club to influence proceedings.

The campaign for safe standing areas to be incorporated into top-level football grounds has received a major boost, after Aston Villa said they are examining introducing a standing section at Villa Park.

They have it in Germany, Scotland bringing it back, why not at Newcastle?