Scotland Continues to Lead World Cup Qualifying Group Despite Erin Cuthbert Injury Concerns

The absence of spectators made the atmosphere at the Bozsik Stadium, Hungary, feel even more tense when Erin Cuthbert fell while holding her right leg. Only a small number of friends and family were allowed into the 8,000-capacity stadium to watch what was billed as Scotland's home World Cup qualifier against Israel. They fell silent along with their colleagues as Cuthbert's screams of pain echoed around the stadium.

Scotland were on course for the big 6-0 win they needed to stay top of European qualifying Group B4, ahead of Belgium. With a crucial goal difference, the notoriously creative Cuthbert was trying hard to extend the lead when he went down under a seemingly innocuous challenge. However, his quick reaction showed that the impact of the fall was much greater than it seemed. This was confirmed when he was carried away on a stretcher in obvious pain.

Scotland coach Melissa Andreatta was reluctant to speculate on "how it goes" amid news that Cuthbert was heading to hospital. Striker Kirsty Hanson, who scored Scotland's sixth goal, said only: "He's getting good treatment, so let's hope there's some good news." However, judging by the looks on their faces and the muted joy of this important victory, they were very worried about what would happen next.

Scotland rarely experiences a rise without a fall, and this was one of those moments. Some of the mournful mood awaiting news of Cuthbert's injury was lifted slightly by the result of a late start at the Den Dreef Stadium. While Belgium got the expected win at home against Luxembourg, they only managed a 6-0 win over the team who finished bottom of the group. While this is an impressive scoreline, Scotland previously crushed them 7-0 at Hampden.

Scotland started the night with a four-goal lead over Belgium, and remained so going into the final round of play on Tuesday. Belgium will be favored to increase their goal difference once again when they face Luxembourg, this time at home. Meanwhile, Scotland have an "away game" against Israel at the same venue in Hungary as UEFA decided that all Middle Eastern teams' matches must be played at neutral venues for security reasons.

Andreatta stressed that "we will continue to improve our actions in the final third" ahead of Tuesday to increase that goal difference. "Our performance was as expected," said the coach to BBC Scotland. "The game started very quickly. We organized the game and dominated. That's what we will focus on - how we can continue to dominate in the second game. "What was really encouraging was the variety, both of open play and second phase set-pieces. That makes it difficult for any opponent to try to stop us.”

Andreatta hopes to return to a "beautiful stadium" with a "good surface" on Tuesday. However, it looks like he will do without Cuthbert, who was one half of a world-class midfield partnership that was crucial in breaking through the Israeli defence. The 27-year-old not only scored Scotland's opener but also set up the other two goals. This means more responsibility will likely fall on Caroline Weir's shoulders, as if the captain doesn't already carry a lot of collective weight.

The midfielder, who looks set to leave Real Madrid this summer, scored a hat-trick and was a shame not to add to his collection. "He leads from the front even though he is in midfield and he is a graceful person and a top class player, and in very important situations, he performs," Andreatta said. "That's what we needed tonight." Hanson also praised the 30 year old player. "He's definitely a role model for everyone, so we all look up to him and learn from him," he said. "He sets the standard and, if he plays well, we all play well. We are very happy to score a lot of goals, but we have another game and we just move on to the next game."

The next game will not only determine whether Scotland finish top and are promoted to League A for the next round of Nations League matches, but also how tough opponents they will face in the playoffs for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. With only the League A group winners qualifying directly from Europe, three teams from Scotland's group will qualify for the playoffs. However, the group winners will be seeded alongside the team that finished fourth in League A in a match against the runners-up and third-placed team from League B. With or without Cuthbert, Scotland have a lot to gain from carefully chasing goals once again on Tuesday.