Scottish Gossip: Scotland, Ikechi Anya, Kieran Tierney, St Mirren

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Derby winger Ikechi Anya is a fitness doubt for Scotland's match against Lithuania on Saturday night, Should he fail to join the squad, Gordon Strachan will bring in West Brom's Matt Phillips. (Various)

Pundit Michael Stewart says the Lithuanian players will all look up to coach Edgaras Jankauskas, a Champions League winner, but Stewart is surprised to see him in charge of his country's football team because he preferred a less pressurised coaching role when he was at Hearts. (Sun)

Bayern Munich are watching Celtic's 19-year-old left-back Kieran Tierney, and sent a scout to see how he performed in the Champions League match against Manchester City last week. (Daily Express)

Mixu Paatelainen, Gus MacPherson, Jack Ross and Jamie Fullarton form St Mirren's four-man shortlist for the managerial vacancy. The Buddies expect to name their new boss on Thursday. (Sun)

Alloa Athletic have granted Jack Ross permission to talk to St Mirren about becoming their new manager. (Daily Mail)

Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan thinks 16-year-old Grange Academy pupil Jack Paterson will be "an inspiration" to other young footballers after he became the first SFA Performance School pupil to be given a squad number and be involved with a first team when he was part of the Kilmarnock squad at Celtic Park last week. (Sun)

Neil Lennon tells his Hibernian players that they have to learn to cope with being Championship title favourites as they were pegged back by Dundee United for a 1-1 draw at Easter Road on Sunday, thereby blowing the chance to leapfrog Queen of the South at the top of the table. (Sun)

Dundee United boss Ray McKinnon is moved to wonder if his midfield is "cursed" after defender Lewis Toshney, playing in central midfield to cover for the absence of injured pair Willo Flood and Stewart Murdoch, suffered a serious ankle injury against Hibs. (Various)

Rangers goalkeeper Wes Foderingham says he and his team-mates were devastated to hear of the death of fan Ryan Baird, who was killed when a Rangers supporters' bus crashed in Ayrshire on its way to Ibrox on Saturday. (Various)

It looks likely that West Brom's James Morrison would prefer to fight for his place in the starting XI than leave in the January transfer window, with Celtic a potential suitor. (Sun)

Partick Thistle midfielder Ryan Edwards believes the Jags will soon turn good performances into points - Thistle are at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership with five points from a possible 21. (Sun)

Dundee midfielder Paul McGowan believes there is a "massive" improvement in the Celtic team this season compared to last. The Dee lost 1-0 to Celtic at the weekend and are just a point above Partick Thistle but McGowan thinks if they can reproduce the form they showed against the league leaders they will be "fine". (Various)

Rangers midfielder Niko Kranjcar thinks the team should focus only on their next game and leave any thoughts on where their title challenge stands until after Christmas. (National)

OTHER GOSSIP

In basketball, Glasgow Rocks coach Sterling Davis says his team is still a work in progress after their winning start to the season came to a halt with a 82-74 defeat by Newcastle Eagles. (Daily Express)

Kilbarchan's Callum Hawkins says he could not believe his time of 60 minutes 24 seconds in the Great Scottish Run half marathon in Glasgow on Sunday. He cut two minutes off the Scottish record. (National)

Former WBO world cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson says he admires Ricky Burns because he is like "a hungry fighter, not like a world champion and that's what makes him a dangerous champion". (Herald)