Connor McAvoy raring to go with Scotland U21s after ‘tough time’ with injuries

Fulham defender Connor McAvoy is delighted to be back in the mix with Scotland Under-21s after a frustrating spell of injury trouble since he won his last cap in November 2022.

The 22-year-old centre-back had his loan stint at Partick Thistle cut short when he suffered a knee issue in a cinch Championship match at Morton in March 2023.

After a string of setbacks that led to him being unable to be considered for involvement with Fulham’s U21s until February of this year, McAvoy – with three Scotland U21 caps to his name – is relishing being in Scot Gemmill’s squad for the friendlies away to Turkey on Monday and Austria on Friday.

“I was delighted when Scot rang me and asked me to be part of it because it’s been a tough time for me,” he told the PA news agency.

“There was a lot of setbacks with the injury. It wasn’t meant to be that sort of timeframe, it was meant to be shorter than that but things didn’t go smoothly.

“Obviously the timing wasn’t ideal because I was doing really well. I was on loan at Partick and was getting some good run-outs with Scotland U21s.

“It was tough to deal with but at the end of the day there was nothing I could do about it. I just had to get through it and the last two months or so I have been back training and playing, and it’s felt really good so hopefully I’m good to go next season.”

McAvoy was getting the chance to train with Fulham’s first team prior to joining Partick in January of last year but after such a long period on the sidelines, he is prepared for the likelihood that he will be loaned out again next term.

“I’m not 100 per cent sure yet, I need to speak to Fulham, but ideally I’d like to go out on loan and get consistent game time again,” he said.

“If the gaffer needs me I’ll be ready but the plan would be to go on loan.”

Having featured for Fulham’s U21s in recent months, McAvoy, who won each of his three Scotland U21 caps in 2022, would love to get some more game time in Istanbul’s Kasimpasa Stadium on Monday.

“I know most of the boys from previous times so settling in has been fine,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to the week. I hope to get some game time but whether I don’t play at all or play both, even the training with these lads is at a really high level so it’s great to be a part of it.

“The team’s had some great results previously. I wasn’t a part of that but I’m coming in now to help the team in any way I can.”