Kevin Nisbet is back on form for Aberdeen at a crucial time, with a Scotland squad announcement not far away.
After a decent start at Pittodrie with three goals in his first seven Premiership games, he had a quiet few months followed and he didn’t find the net again until January.
Two in two games followed against Dunfermline in the cup and then Dundee, before a crucial brace to secure a draw against Dundee United.
Manager Jimmy Thelin praised Nisbet after that one and insisted he was finally being rewarded for his hard work.
The 28-year-old found the net again during the 4-1 win over Queen’s Park on Saturday which sent the Dons into the draw for the Scottish Cup semi-final.
With Scotland set to play Greece in a Nations League play-off double header later this month, Nisbet may just have played himself into contention.
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Pundits split on Nisbet for Scotland
Nisbet’s last international cap came against Georgia almost two years ago. He’s been on the bench twice since then but has largely been missing out on squads due to his Millwall struggles.
He will be an option now though with Lyndon Dykes missing through injury and Scott Allan and Stuart Lovell have been discussing whether the former Hibs man should get the call.
Speaking on BBC Scotland’s Scottish Cup highlights, Lovell said of Nisbet: “The finish is unbelievable, to score from there. The delivery, the movement and the finish from Nisbet is sublime.”
Asked about the Scotland squad though, he added: “He hasn’t played enough. That would be the issue for me, he hasn’t played enough.
“But a peak Kevin Nisbet, I would say, should definitely be in the squad.”
Allan disagrees and would have him his former teammate in the squad.
He said: “I think we don’t have a lot of options up there. We do know when he is playing and firing, he does different types of finishes. For me, yeah I would take him.”
Who are Scotland’s other striker options?
With Dykes’ injury, Che Adams is probably the only certainty for an inclusion. He’s a favourite of Steve Clarke’s and has eight Serie A goals for Torino this season.
Tommy Conway is likely to join him having been in recent squads and having a decent English Championship season with Middlesbrough.
That leaves probably one space for another centre-forward, with Nisbet another options.
Others under consideration would be Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland, Ryan Hardie at Plymouth and Ipswich’s George Hirst, who Clarke has watched lately.