Clarke sticks to plan over future and McBurnie omission

Clarke sticks to plan over future and McBurnie omissionImage source, SNS/Getty ImagesImage caption, Steve Clarke says Oli McBurnie should not have made their private call publicByKheredine IdessaneBBC Sport Scotland Senior ReporterPublished2 minutes agoSteve Clarke says it is still "the plan" to have his future as Scotland head coach sorted out before he boards the plane to this summer's World Cup.On the day the 62-year-old named his 26-man squad for the Americas, Clarke said he preferred to focus on the players chosen, but it was the omission of Oli McBurnie that was to become one of the major talking points.The 29-year-old Hull City striker was later quoted as saying he only heard the news from one of the players who will be heading to the tournament.With Middlesbrough's Tommy Conway injured, Clarke did recall Southampton's Ross Stewart after a four-year absence.Southampton expelled from play-offs for spyingPublished2 hours agoStewart's remarkable rise from Scottish juniors to World CupPublished3 hours agoNo theatre or Scotland curveballs from loyal ClarkePublished7 hours agoBut there was no place for McBurnie despite scoring twice as many goals as Stewart in the Championship this season.McBurnie will get the chance to add more and help his side to the Premier League in Saturday's play-off final, which will now be against Middlesbrough after Stewart's Southampton were expelled for spying on opponents.Clarke revealed he had conversations with some of the players who had not made the squad, but McBurnie was most certainly not among those.The Scotland head coach bristled when reminded that McBurnie had revealed publicly that he had called him previously to ask about his own five-year exile from the national set-up. "I thought that was a private conversation, to be honest," Clarke said. "It shouldn't have gone to the media."When pushed on whether there was a personality clash with McBurnie, Clarke added:...