Ryan Stevenson, Gary MacKenzie & Craig Samson get surprise Scots call

Ryan Stevenson and Darren Fletcher Stevenson will be hoping to play alongside captain Darren Fletcher

Hearts midfielder Ryan Stevenson, MK Dons defender Gary MacKenzie and St Mirren goalkeeper Craig Samson are surprise call-ups Scotland's squad.

Charlie Adam, Graham Dorrans, Alan Hutton, David Marshall, Russell Martin and Lee Wallace have all pulled out of Friday's friendly away to Cyprus.

And Leeds winger Robert Snodgrass is a major doubt with a leg injury.

Blackpool left-back Stephen Crainey and Cardiff City winger Craig Conway have also been added to the squad.

Craig Levein's injury-hit side take on the Cypriots in Larnaca in a match arranged to coincide with the Euro 2012 play-offs, for which Scotland failed to qualify.
MK Dons' Gary MacKenzie MacKenzie has yet to represent Scotland at any level

It is a first call-up to the national squad at any level for MacKenzie and Stevenson.

Central defender MacKenzie, 26, signed for League One outfit MK Dons from Dundee in July 2010.

Stevenson, who was with Chelsea as a youth before spells with St Johnstone and Ayr United, has blossomed in the Scottish Premier League since moving to Hearts in February 2010.

While primarily a midfielder, he has been used by the Tynecastle outfit as a forward.

Fellow 27-year-old Samson has been capped at under-21 level but has yet to win a full honour.

Snodgrass could be the next withdrawal from Levein's squad, the midfielder receiving a scan on Monday.

Adam, Hutton and Martin all completed 90 minutes for their respective Premier League clubs on Saturday, while Dorrans was subbed late in West Brom's defeat away to Arsenal.

The Scottish Football Association indicated that Adam and Hutton are suffering with knee complaints, while Martin and Dorrans have been listed with ankle injuries.

Marshall is suffering with an illness that prevented the goalkeeper playing for Cardiff against Crystal Palace, while Wallace's omission was likely after he was replaced in the first half of Rangers' 3-1 success over Dundee United on Saturday.

Wallace's injury paved the way for the return of Crainey, who he had replaced only last month when the Blackpool defender was forced out of the squad to play Liechtenstein and Spain with injury.

Scotland squad

Goalkeepers: Matt Gilks (Blackpool), Allan McGregor (Rangers), Craig Samson (St Mirren)

Defenders: Phil Bardsley (Sunderland), Christophe Berra (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Stephen Crainey (Blackpool), Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic), Grant Hanley (Blackburn Rovers), Gary MacKenzie (MK Dons), Steven Whittaker (Rangers)

Midfielders: Craig Conway (Cardiff City), Don Cowie (Cardiff City), Darren Fletcher (Manchester United), James McArthur (Wigan Athletic), James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion), Barry Robson (Middlesbrough), Robert Snodgrass (Leeds United), Ryan Stevenson (Heart of Midlothian)

Forwards: David Goodwillie (Blackburn Rovers), Craig Mackail-Smith (Brighton and Hove Albion), Jamie Mackie (Queens Park Rangers), Kenny Miller (Cardiff City), Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield Town)

For the latest updates and reaction to this story read Sportsday Live. Have your say on Twitter via the hashtag #bbcsportsday.

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