Scotland Set to Face Sweden Without Captain Weir

Scotland will head into their pivotal World Cup play-off final against Sweden without their captain, Caroline Weir, who is sidelined with a muscle injury. Weir, who has made 122 appearances for her country and netted 32 goals, picked up the injury during the warm-up before the match against the Czech Republic last month. To add to the challenge, Aston Villa's Mia McAulay will also be unavailable due to ongoing calf issues. In response, the squad has been bolstered with the inclusion of Newcastle's Beth Lumsden and Ipswich striker Eilidh Adams. The first leg of this high-stakes tie takes place on December 1 in Paisley, with the return fixture scheduled for December 5 in Stockholm. Fans can catch the action on BBC Scotland for the opening match, while BBC ALBA will cover the second leg in Sweden. A win could propel Scotland to the World Cup in Brazil 2027, although there’s still a chance they might face an intercontinental play-off in February if they end up as the lowest-ranked playoff winner from Europe. Sweden is a formidable opponent, having qualified for every World Cup since the tournament began in 1991 and finishing third in the last two editions. The squad for this crucial tie includes: Goalkeepers: Sandy MacIver (Washington Spirit), Eartha Cumings (Manchester City), Lee Gibson (Glasgow City) Defenders: Georgia Brown (SC Jacksonville), Jenna Clark (Liverpool), Nicola Docherty (Rangers), Sophie Howard (Como), Emma Lawton (Ipswich Town), Rachel McLauchlan (Newcastle United), Amy Muir (Glasgow City) Midfielders: Chelsea Cornet (Birmingham City), Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea), Christy Grimshaw (AC Milan), Sam Kerr (Liverpool), Beth Lumsden (Newcastle United), Kirsty Maclean (Liverpool), Maria McAneny (Celtic), Miri Taylor (Aston Villa) Forwards: Eilidh Adams (Ipswich Town), Lauren Davidson (SK Brann), Claire Emslie (Angel City), Freya Gregory (Newcastle United), Kirsty Hanson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kirsty Howat (Crystal Palace), Kathleen McGovern (Newcastle United), Martha Thomas (Newcastle United).