ALEX McLeish is confident Hearts and Scotland centre half John Souttar will be a stronger player when he returns from his hip injury next year.

Souttar is set to be sidelined for six months after landing awkwardly and tearing the lining of his hip when he was away with the national team earlier this month.

His loss is a blow to McLeish as the defender started in the Nations League games against Albania at Hampden last month and Israel in Haifa a fortnight ago.

He is under pressure after consecutive defeats and Scotland have crucial Group C1 matches against Albania in Shkoder and Israel in Glasgow coming up next month.

However, the national manager believes the 6ft 1in 22-year-old will benefit from an extended spell on the sidelines and will be better when he makes his comeback.

"I spoke to John after the news of his injury,” he said. “He had been struggling with it for a while.

"He was pleased to get the phone call, but all the national team coaches have been in touch, so we wish him well.

“In the end, it should make him even better. It should help his career in the future, make him stronger and help the fitness element.

"John is a young lad starting out. He doesn't have all the answers yet, but he's picking up experience.

"That is what gets you to the top level and John has the potential to get there. He's had some bad luck with injuries and that's a shame, but he will be back stronger.”

Meanwhile, McLeish has admitted he was pleased to see Callum Paterson, who was left out of the Scotland squad for the Israel and Portugal games this month, score for Cardiff City in a Premier League game against Fulham on Saturday.

"Callum has been with us on the trips up until the last one, when I phoned him to say he wouldn't be involved,” he said.

"It's never nice to hear that, but he responded in the right way and scored a good goal last weekend. He's playing in a different position.”

Meanwhile, McLeish revealed he will attend the Betfred Cup semi-final between Aberdeen and Rangers at Hampden on Sunday to look at Mikey Devlin, Scott McKenna and Graeme Shinnie in action.

"I will be at the Aberdeen-Rangers game this weekend,” he said. “There are a few Aberdeen players, and not as many in the Rangers team. We have the likes of Devlin, McKenna and Shinnie so it will be good to see them.

"We have covered most of the guys. I went to the Kilmarnock-St Mirren game last weekend. I am trying to get round all the grounds and I watched Stevie O'Donnell.

"Killie are the comeback kings this season and they did well again. Eamonn Brophy has also had a good spell and has been looked at in terms of the 21s.”

Alex McLeish was speaking at a Street Soccer Scotland event. Street Soccer Scotland delivers a range of football related personal development and training programmes to socially disadvantaged adults and young people across Scotland including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen.