Scotland get yellow card reprieve as FIFA set to grant Steve Clarke's wish with World Cup booking amnesty

FIFA are ready to approve a yellow card amnesty for the World Cup play-offs - which would be a major boost for Steve Clarke and his Scotland squad.

The governing body are ready to wipe out existing bookings which have run over from the qualifying group campaign for the upcoming semi-final and finals matches for a place at Qatar 2022.

UEFA have been approached by several of the nations involved in March’s play-offs about scratching existing bookings and are canvassing the general feeling, according to ESPN.

Scotland captain Andy Robertson, John McGinn, Che Adams, Billy Gilmour, Jack Hendry, Scott McTominay, Kevin Nisbet and Stephen O’Donnell are the Scotland players who are currently walking that tightrope.

If, as likely, they take their case to FIFA then they will agree to show some leniency on that disciplinary front.

A UEFA spokesman said: "Some national associations qualified for the FIFA World Cup play-offs raised the issue. This is a FIFA competition and they decide on regulations. UEFA will collect the opinion of the 12 associations participating in the FIFA play-offs and will pass this information onto FIFA."

Clarke has already argued the case, as he has eight key players who are all sitting on a booking.

Clarke previously said: ”It's something which could possibly be addressed but that's more a conversation for the guys above me and obviously UEFA and FIFA would have to come together and find a solution. "If all the teams that are involved in the playoffs could have a little head to head and decide, but they would have to do it very quickly.

"If it happened it would be good for all the countries involved. I've got a list of most of the countries and they are all up there with seven, eight, nine bookings. It's almost impossible to manage because you have so many."

(SNS Group)

If Scotland were to pick up another booking and make the final play-off game then they would miss that, as the current rule stands.

There are around 107 players across the 12 teams in the March play-offs who are affected.

The draw for the play-offs will be made on November 26.