Ally McCoist has shut down talkSPORT pundit Andros Townsend over claims that Kieran Tierney was deliberately rested for Scotland against the Czech Republic.

The Arsenal defender missed Scotland's Euro 2020 opener through injury and is a doubt for Wembley on Friday.

TalkSPORT host Laura Woods suggested that Tierney may have been rested ahead of Scotland's clash with England and Andros Townsend suggested that Steve Clarke felt he could get the better of the Czechs without one of his star men.

But Scotland and Rangers legend Coisty was having none of the claims.

He said: "That train of thought I do not buy into at all. Why would you do that when the most important game is your first game? You want to field your best team."

Townsend responded: "Maybe they thought they could beat the Czech Republic without Kieran Tierney? They should have."

McCoist continued: "No. They should have and could have but there is no way. We have a much better chance of beating anybody with Kieran Tierney in the team.

"It doesn't matter if it is Luxembourg or France. We can't afford to not play our best players and Kieran Tierney is absolutely one of those.

"That is why I don't buy into it. He must've been very close the fact he was training.

"We have had it 100 times. When you have a niggle like that you think 'I maybe could' and he has obviously felt he can't take that opportunity.

"The one thing that blows that theory completely out of the water is that Tierney and Robertson would be the two players who would be bursting to play though everything."

Townsend then said: "For me if I could train on the Monday morning and the game was on the Sunday. He must have been 80/85 per cent.

"So surely he could have played and what is being said is right."

McCoist added: "I get that but we don't know. They are being clever, we don't know where that niggle is.

"If it was a hamstring there is no way he could have taken a chance. I think it must have been a knock rather than a strain.

"They want to keep it quiet. I 100 per cent take your point but there is no way."