The nation holds its breath over a dodgy stomach

If you were scrolled through the timeline on June 11, you might have felt the collective heart of an entire nation drop into their boots. News broke that Scott McTominay, quite possibly the only reason Scotland fans have a flicker of hope for this World Cup campaign, was sidelined with a stomach bug. It was the classic Tartan Army nightmare: one day out from the tournament opener against Haiti, and our engine room hit the deck.

Thankfully, the panic button has been released, at least for the next 24 hours. As the BBC reported, McTominay returned to the grass on the eve of the game. He is, by all accounts, ready to suit up. My liver can finally stop vibrating for a second.

The optimism vs the usual dread

Naturally, the forums are a complete car crash of competing neuroses. On one side, you have the eternal optimists who think this blip actually helps us. They view it as a tactical diversion, a way to keep Haiti guessing while Steve Clarke works his magic in the private sessions. It is classic Scottish optimism, the kind that survives purely on spite and a disregard for historical data.

Then you have the pessimists, who see a stomach bug as a cosmic sign of impending doom. One user on the subreddit noted that if a midfielder coming down with a 24-hour bug is enough to put the media in a frenzy, the mental state of the squad is already fragile. Let's be real: how can we expect to compete with the big boys if, as Sky Sports reported, our entire preparation hinges on one guy not eating something dodgy at the team buffet?

The verdict from the bar stool

So, which side is actually holding water here? Personally, I think the nervous wreck contingent is closer to the truth than they would like to admit. Relying this heavily on one player is the hallmark of a team that doesn't have a plan B. If McTominay is at 90 percent energy levels tomorrow, we are effectively playing with ten men for long stretches.

The counter-argument that we have depth is frankly laughable. Scotland doesn't have depth; we have a bunch of guys who look perfectly fine until the third minute of a match against a team with actual pace. My biggest fear isn't even the illness itself. It is the fact that we were staring at a lineup crisis 24 hours before kick-off. That suggests a level of contingency planning that makes a wet paper bag look like a fortress.

What to expect against Haiti

Looking at the match itself, the outcome is far from the guarantee some claim it is. Haiti will come out firing, looking to exploit any sluggishness in our defensive transition. If McTominay looks even a step slow because he has spent the last 48 hours glued to a porcelain throne, we could be in for a rough afternoon.

Every tournament opener is a slog, but this one has the added spice of player health drama. Let us hope the medical team has pumped him full of electrolytes and whatever else it takes to survive 90 minutes of international football. If he lands a strike from outside the box early, all this panic will be forgotten. If he looks lost, prepare for the incoming tidal wave of social media toxicity. Either way, get your refreshments ready because tomorrow is going to be a long one for anyone with a Scottish connection.