Scott McTominay panic over distressing Napoli scenes met head on by Antonio Conte as he offers Scotland hope

The marauding midfielder was sensational once more as he played a starring role for the Serie A title before concerns were raised.

Bullish Antonio Conte claims Scott McTominay is in the clear over serious injury fears and offered Scotland boss Steve Clarke hope about his talismanic midfielder.

The marauding midfielder was sensational once more as he played a starring role for the Serie A title challengers in their gutsy 2-1 win over Fiorentina but pulled up lame in the closing stages. Conte insists the distressing scenes as McTominay winced in pain are not an indicator he will be on the shelf for any period of time. The latest worry comes days after the 28-year-old was awarded extra rest over concerns surrounding his workload.

But Conte insists his main man is in the mix to feature against Venezia before he is due with the national team for the crunch Nations League double-header with Greece with Scotland pal Billy Gilmour also back in the starting XI. He said: "He was tired, no problem, it shouldn't be anything special."

And Conte was effusive in his praise after his men remained only one point behind Inter in the race for Scudetto. He added: I'm very satisfied with the performance and the team's response.

"In a growth path it's normal that, after having created a lot for 60-65 minutes and taking you to 2-0, conceding a goal can generate excessive anxiety. You have to be good at managing it, cooling down the moment and keeping the ball more, continuing to do things in the right way without allowing dangerous situations. The boys did well, I'm happy."