Scotland striker Oli McBurnie is set for medical tests this week after a worrying incident saw him cough up blood during a Hull City match. The 29-year-old, recently recalled to the national squad by new manager Sebastien Pocognoli, suffered a kick to the rib and was examined at half-time. His potential absence is a fresh concern for a side whose recent form shows one win, one draw, and two defeats from their last four matches.
Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic confirmed the situation. "He got a kick in the rib and was coughing blood at half time so we will need to take a look at him," Jakirovic said. He added that McBurnie, who has 20 caps for Scotland but is yet to score for his country, often takes heavy challenges. "He's doing a lot of dirty jobs, he's getting a lot of kicks," the manager noted.
The timing is awkward for Scotland, who host FYR Macedonia in the Nations League on Saturday 13 November. The side's recent fixtures have yielded mixed results, with a win, a draw, and two losses in their last four outings. That defeat followed a 2-0 away victory over FYR Macedonia on Saturday 3 October, where Kieron Bowie and John McGinn were on the scoresheet, but preceded a 3-0 home loss to Switzerland and a 0-0 draw in Slovenia.
McBurnie's club form had been a positive, with the forward ending a long Premier League goal drought by scoring a penalty for Hull in a draw against Brentford. His return to the Scotland fold under Pocognoli was seen as a fresh opportunity, but his immediate focus is now on these medical assessments. The outcome will be closely watched ahead of the key home match next month against the same FYR Macedonia side they defeated in October.
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