The 32-year-old was heading back to Lancashire on Thursday to continue treatment on the knee injury which has now cost him the chance of three caps in the space of three weeks.

Despite report and counter-report on Wednesday that Davidson's recall to George Burley's squad was over before it had begun, it took North End chiefs until Thursday morning to confirm that the left-back had withdrawn and would be coming home.

As late as Wednesday night an executive at Deepdale was telling the media: "Callum has NOT pulled out. Reports that he has are untrue."

But the same official was forced to issue an apology to the LEP on Thursday morning, admitting he had got it wrong.

Davidson twisted his knee in the Championship game against Crystal Palace almost three weeks ago and was forced to pull out of the friendly against Northern Ireland - his first call-up after six years in the international wilderness.

He was expected to be fit enough to play against Charlton last weekend in readiness to join up with the squad for the games in Skopje on Saturday and Reykjavik on Wednesday, but was left out at the last minute after claiming his knee "didn't feel quite right."

He joined up with the squad on Monday and it was only after the Scotland medical staff assessed his fitness that he was forced to withdraw.