DAVID GRAY tried to sign Lyndon Dykes earlier this week to give Kieron Bowie a rest.
Now it’s Steve Clarke who has the perfect opportunity to use Bowie and give Dykes a breather instead.
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The Birmingham City striker’s all-action display against Denmark was exactly what Scotland needed.
He hounded the Danes’ defence at the Parken whenever he got the chance, he chased every lost cause.
But he also looked KNACKERED after an hour, a result of not playing regularly at club level.
So when our big chance fell to him he dithered, taking a touch too many and then it was gone.
Against Belarus on Monday Scotland should get more of those types of opportunities.
And right now there is no one in that squad more suited to take them than Bowie.
The 22-year-old’s wonder strike against Partizan Belgrade recently showed how high his confidence is.
He has impressed on the European stage with his club this season.
And his two goals against Dundee in the league were both instinctive, first time finishes.
Four of Greece’s five goals against Belarus on Friday were from inside ten yards out.
They continually played balls into the box and their opponents couldn’t deal with it.
The only exception was Anastasios Bakasetas’ wonder strike from 25 yards.
Even then he was given the freedom of Piraeus to score it, something John McGinn and Scott McTominay should take note of.
But the others came from their strikers pressing the defence, something Bowie excels at.
It also takes its toll, which is why Hibs boss Gray was so keen to bring in Dykes this week.
The deal made sense for all parties. Dykes needs more gametime than he’s currently getting.
Gray would have got a formidable option if he felt Bowie, not long back from injury, needed to sit out a game or two.
Or he could have had a wrecking ball of a double act if he decided to go with both.
As it was Birmingham wanted too much of the striker’s wages paid so the move never happened.
But you never know, it might have planted a seed in the wily Scotland manager’s head.
At the very least I would have Bowie as the focal point of the attack on Monday evening.
But I don’t pick the national team (sadly) and as everyone knows Clarke has his favourites.
The Scotland boss is loyal to those who have stuck by him, and rightly so.
It’s why Dykes and Che Adams started on Friday despite not starting for their clubs.
It’s why George Hirst got the nod to replace Dykes when the big man couldn’t run any more.
And it’s also why he went with Angus Gunn and Grant Hanley in Copenhagen.
Gunn’s inclusion was a big call given Zander Clark has been playing regularly for Hearts.
But to be fair to the keeper he didn’t do a lot wrong and made a series of decent stops.
Hanley was even better, winning everything in the air and making a series of blocks.
And if Clarke wanted to go with the pair once again I’d have no issue with that.
But there is a real opportunity to freshen things up further up the park.
Lots of fans were unhappy when Ben Gannon-Doak wasn’t included in the starting eleven.
His impact as a late sub would have done nothing to change that view.
To be clear, the end result in Denmark absolutely justified the means.
But it would be a big surprise if he was not in from the beginning on Monday.
Belarus are there for the taking. Their morale will be in bits after their start to the campaign.
Scotland need to make them suffer more – and a Bowie knife would do the trick.
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