There are increasing concerns that Napoli midfielder Billy Gilmour’s knee injury, which has ended his World Cup aspirations, is more serious than initially reported. Simultaneously, Scottish football fans are voicing their discontent regarding the decision to overlook Udinese’s Lennon Miller for the national squad.
The Scottish national team’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, were significantly disrupted when Gilmour was forced off the field during a friendly match against Curacao, which Scotland won 4-1. Later that evening, it was confirmed that scans revealed the knee injury was severe enough to prevent him from participating in the tournament.
Gilmour Undergoing Further Tests for Knee Injury
Napoli released a statement indicating that Gilmour suffered a Grade II sprain of his right knee and would be returning to Naples for additional assessments with the club’s medical team. However, the newspaper Il Mattino suggests that Napoli is worried about the possibility of collateral ligament damage, which can only be accurately diagnosed once the swelling from the sprain subsides. If this is the case, Gilmour could be sidelined for two to three months.
In the meantime, Scottish fans have taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction with Gilmour’s replacement in the World Cup squad. 19-year-old Tyler Fletcher, who only made his international debut in the recent friendly against Curacao, was selected over Udinese midfielder Lennon Miller, also 19. Fans argue that Miller, who has made 26 competitive appearances for Udinese this season, scoring one goal and providing two assists, should have been given the call-up. Miller started 10 matches in both Serie A and the Coppa Italia. In stark contrast, Fletcher has only had two brief substitute appearances in the Premier League for Manchester United, totaling just 17 minutes on the pitch this season.
