Fulham captain Tom Cairney has tonight withdrawn from the Scotland squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania and Malta.

Cairney hinted in a post-match interview with Get West London following Fulham’s 2-0 win at Ipswich Town that he would be in touch with the Scottish medical staff after revealing that he had undergone an injection to ensure that he could start the Championship clash at Portman Road. The Fulham midfielder has had to manage his playing time after suffering a knee injury during pre-season and suggested that he would not be fully fit for international duty.

The 26 year-old played the full ninety minutes as Fulham recorded their first league victory of the campaign against Mick McCarthy’s previously unbeaten Ipswich side but his afternoon was not free of injury worries as he was taken off the pitch on three occasions in the first half having been the subject of heavy challenges.