Scotland beat Curacao 4-1 on Saturday at Hampden Park, but its preparations for its first FIFA World Cup finals campaign since 1998 took a hit as Gilmour sustained a knee injury.

It was subsequently confirmed that the Napoli midfielder would miss the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Scotland boss Steve Clarke had several options at his disposal, but it is 19-year-old Fletcher who has been given the nod.

The 19-year-old made his Scotland debut against Curacao, with Clarke having been impressed.

Fletcher's debut came eight years and 234 days after his father made his final appearance for Scotland. The youngster had 42 touches and registered an 86.2 per cent pass accuracy.

He has made two appearances for United this season but has played more minutes for his country than his club.

Fletcher may get another chance to impress Clarke when Scotland faces Bolivia in a friendly next week, before it takes on Haiti in its 2026 FIFA World Cup opener on 15 June (AEST).