Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has revealed that conversations over a potential recall for Scott Brown took place in the build-up to the League Cup semi-finals.
Brown retired from international football ahead of his nation's World Cup qualifying campaign but he is back in the fold for the fixture with England at Wembley Stadium.
At a press conference to announce his squad, Strachan revealed how a decision was made to hand another opportunity to the Celtic midfielder ahead of what is regarded as a key fixture in their bid to reach the tournament in Russia in 2018.
The 59-year-old told reporters: "Scott decided to retire because of the place he was in at the time, a place where he was a bit worried about his fitness. Since then, he has come back with a bang.
"He's in a different place at the moment. It's not as if we have downed tools and not phoned each other but our background staff held conversations with him when the League Cup semi-finals took place. He was thinking about wanting to get back into the squad and wanted to make himself available.
"From there, we checked that out. We spoke on the phone and now we are back together again."
Brown has made 50 appearances for the national team, scoring four goals.
Darren Plant
