Scotland will fly out to the United States today worrying over the fitness of the Rangers goalkeeper, Andy Goram, as they begin their preparations for the World Cup finals in France.

Yesterday, the veteran goal-keeper, who is now leaving the Ibrox club as a new era dawns at Ibrox, failed to make the training session with the rest of the players. The international team manager, Craig Brown, admitted that there was now a doubt over his fitness for the tournament because of the recurring hamstring injury that almost kept him out of the Scottish Cup final at the weekend.

Goram did not appear at the Press gathering at Hampden, which preceded the scheduled training session, and later a worried Brown explained the reasons. He said: ''Andy has had a problem with the hamstring injury which he had before he played for Rangers at the week-end in the cup final.

''There is no way at all that he could take part in the training session organised today and we shall have to monitor his situation over in the United States.

''The doctor for the squad, Professor Stuart Hillis, has talked to him and he will see him when he arrives at our headquarters in New Jersey - he will be travelling later than we do because he is on duty at the European Cup final in Amsterdam.

''What we have to do is allow Andy some time for recovery and then assess just how he is. There is a lot of time before we have to play our first game, and even a lot of time before we are playing our second game in Washington. But we have to be very careful that we don't take any chances at all.''

Of course, Brown has still to decide on which goalkeeper he will use in the opening game against Brazil on June 10, but this time he has promised that he will not allow the timing to go right down to the wire as he did at Euro96, when he delayed the choice between Goram and Jim Leighton until just before the opening game against Holland.

Then he opted for Goram and in that game the Ibrox goalkeeper was immense in an opening spell when it seemed that the Scots would be over-run by the Dutch. This time round, however, there is a different philosophy at work.

Brown explained yesterday: ''I have spoken to Alan Hodgkinson, our goalkeeping coach, and he believes that it would be better to make our decision earlier.

''We shall play Neil Sullivan in the first game in the States against Colombia and then, in the second game against the United States in Washington, we shall play the man who will be in against the Brazilians in Paris at the opening game.

''I felt that it was best to do it the other way last time, but it did upset Jim Leighton and now, before going to France, we shall have told everyone our intentions.

''I think this is the right way to do it after the talks with Alan and, in any case, that is how it is going to be.''

All of this will depend on Goram's eventual fitness, which will be decided over the next few days as his every move is monitored, but Brown did insist that his only worry with Goram is his hamstring injury - and not any of the other problems that have plagued the keeper over the past few years.

Indeed, this season, Goram was one of the Rangers players who had a better appearance record than most and Brown knows that.

Celtic midfielder Craig Burley, who was rested from his club's friendly against Sporting Lisbon last week following the champion- ship victory, will be okay. Brown has checked him out and insisted: ''All Craig needed was a rest. Now he will be given games in the States and he has assured me that he will be fine.

''The same goes for other players who have suffered knocks during the season. They will be playing, but they will also be used sparingly if that is necessary.''

And so, this morning, the adventure begins. The games against Colombia in the Giants Stadium just outside New York this weekend and the second against the USA in Washington's RFK Stadium a week later will be the last preparations available to Brown and his players before the opening game in the Stade de France.

There are no further rehearsals and the Scotland manager knows that and Goram, too, will realise that time is running out on his chances of playing in the World Cup finals for the first time and, possibly, being able to put himself in the shop window for those clubs who are watching over his future freedom.