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          Gordon Strachan hands Hull City's Shaun Maloney a Scotland recall

          • PA Sport
          Sep 28, 2016, 08:51 AM

          Shaun Maloney has earned a Scotland recall for the World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania and Slovakia.

          The Hull midfielder was left out of the squad for the opening win against Malta because of a lack of game time, but he is back in for Fulham's Kevin McDonald.

          Maloney has made two EFL Cup starts and three Premier League substitute appearances this season, while McDonald was immediately back in the Fulham team after withdrawing from the squad ahead of the 5-1 victory over Malta.

          "Shaun has been used as a substitute quite a lot with Hull and played a game last week against Stoke, a terrific game. So he is back in again," manager Gordon Strachan said.

          "He has professionalism, ability, intellect, willingness to play for Scotland. So he's got all these traits that we want along here.

          "And we still have some of the younger lads in the squad as well. If they are good enough we'll stick them in, we will bypass the under-19s and U21s, which we did with Ollie [Burke]."

          Rangers captain Lee Wallace is one of three left-backs in the 28-man squad.

          Wallace was both a late call-up and then withdrawal ahead of the Malta game, but Strachan has found an extra place in his squad for the 29-year-old alongside his Rangers teammate Barrie McKay.

          "First of all, we've got to look at the two games and what we want to try and do," said Strachan, whose team host Lithuania on Oct. 8 and face Slovakia in Trnava three days later.

          "The partnership between him and Barrie over the last 18 months has been terrific, cemented by doing the same thing in the Premiership. Their partnership has been excellent.

          "When he came into the last squad, I knew he was a right good kid, but he was good about the place even though he was injured. He gave up time with his family to be there. I like that, so back in again.

          "He gives us height, strength and a bit of experience as well."

          Scotland squad

          Gordon (Celtic), Hamilton (Hearts), Marshall (Cardiff); Berra (Ipswich), Greer (Blackburn), Hanley (Newcastle), Hutton (Aston Villa), R Martin (Norwich), Paterson (Hearts), Robertson (Hull), Tierney (Celtic), Wallace (Rangers); Anya (Watford), Bannan (Sheff Wed), Burke (Nottingham Forest), D Fletcher (West Brom), Forrest (Celtic), McArthur (Crystal Palace), McGinn (Hibernian), McKay (Rangers), Maloney (Hull), Morrison (West Brom), Ritchie (Newcastle), Snodgrass (Hull); S Fletcher (Sheff Wed), Griffiths (Celtic), C Martin (Derby), Naismith (Norwich).