Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has hit back at claims from West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster that the Scottish play a physically tough game and that England should be prepared for this when they take on the Scots in a friendly match on Tuesday.

This is one of the high profile friendlies scheduled for the England national team between now and the Euro 2016. It has been a few years since we came up against Scotland. Their nearest rivals have been in a positive frame of mind after the recent arrival of Strachan, who has been able to get results unlike his predecessors.

Scotland may be fought in the Euro 2016 qualifying table, but they are level on points with the likes of Germany, who won the World Cup only a few months ago. This shows the tremendous improvement that the team has made under Strachan. The former Celtic manager was extremely angry with the reports that Ben Foster was heard saying that England should be prepared for physical match. Strachan defended his team by saying that most of the players were not even about 6 feet. He has said that the Scottish play a competitive type of football.

Foster is expected to start in goal ahead of regular number one Joe Hart, who may be rested for the match.“If Ben Foster said that, he doesn’t need to worry because he’s in goal.On Friday, people went toe to toe. There was an intensity but there wasn’t a piece of nastiness in it. There’s a big difference.Nobody was backing down and that’s what happens when two teams lock horns and don’t want to get beaten.It wasn’t a nasty game. I’d call it a really good game of football. The smaller players in my team have to take a kick,” said Strachan.