Ferguson devastated as Gilmour misses World Cup through injury

Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson expressed devastation for teammate Billy Gilmour after a knee injury ruled the Napoli player out of the World Cup finals. Gilmour suffered the injury during Scotland's 4-1 friendly win against Curaçao last Saturday. A scan confirmed the extent of the damage, ending his tournament participation. The Bologna captain has now missed consecutive major tournaments due to knee issues. He missed Euro 2024 in Germany after the same type of injury. Ferguson, speaking as Bologna captain, shared his emotional reaction to the news. Gilmour, 24, joined Napoli in 2023 from Chelsea. He made 31 appearances for Scotland before the injury. His absence leaves a midfield void for Steve Clarke’s side in Qatar. Ferguson called the timing "brutal" for Gilmour’s career trajectory. He described their bond as that of close friends and international teammates. The pair have shared pitch time at both club and national level. Scotland open their World Cup campaign against Norway on 16 November. Gilmour’s replacement in the squad has not been named. The team will look to Clarke for leadership without one of their key creative outlets.