TWENTY-TWO members of the Glasgow Warriors squad have been included in Scotland coach Vern Cotter's extended group of 46 for the Rugby World Cup.

Eight of the 46 are uncapped, among them Warriors forwards Mike Cusack, Hugh Blake and Josh Strauss, and back-three player Rory Hughes.

South-Africa-born back-row Strauss, who captained Glasgow to their PRO12 final victory over Munster last Saturday, will become eligible to represent Scotland on residence just before the World Cup, which kicks off in September. Cusack, originally from Doncaster, also qualifies as a resident - though he faces stiff competition for a place in the front row from Edinburgh's WP Nel, who like Strauss was born in South Africa and is about to complete the three-year residence period here.

Blake and Hughes, like Edinburgh's Damien Hoyland and Allan Dell, only made one start apiece in the PRO12 during the season just ended.

Edinburgh hooker Stuart McNally is the other player yet to represent his country.

The squad includes several players who are currently sidelined through injury, among them full-back-cum-winger Sean Maitland, who missed out on much of Glasgow's league campaign and has now joined London Irish.

Warriors centres Mark Bennett and Alex Dunbar are also still on the injury list, and although the timing of a comeback is tight for Dunbar in particular, Cotter is hopeful that both will see action.

Glasgow's Ryan Wilson is also included, though he is serving an international ban until late August.

John Barclay, another contender for a place in the back row, has returned to the squad for the first time since 2013.

Among the significant omissions are former Scotland captain Kelly Brown, experienced prop Geoff Cross, No 8 Johnnie Beattie and winger Dougie Fife, but Cotter insisted that the door was not closed for those three or for others who have been missed out.

"This is not a firmly fixed squad," the coach said yesterday. "It's a living document. There are a number of players we've spoken to who will be working on things with their clubs and looking for form, and may well feature in our warm-up games as a chance to push for selection."

Those games, against Ireland in Dublin, Italy (Turin then Murrayfield) and France (Paris), take place on four consecutive Saturdays from 15 August. Cotter plans to cut his squad down to its final 31 after the third game. Scotland's first match in the Rugby World Cup squad is against Japan in Gloucester on Wednesday, September 23.