Scotland assistant manager Mark McGhee believes the national team face four must-win games if they are to have any hope of reaching the World Cup.

The squad travel to face Lithuania on Friday night in their next Group F match and currently sit fourth in the table.

McGhee said maximum points from the remaining matches was the only chance of reaching second spot and a play-off place.

"We simply can't afford any more mistakes," he said. "That is the position we're in and there's no hiding from that.

"I'm not going to sit here and say 'oh if they slip up and we do this or that we might have a chance'.

"I think we have to assume we have to win all four games so we'll roll our sleeves up starting on Friday night."

After the clash with Lithuania, Scotland play host to Malta at Hampden on Monday, leaving a double header in October against Slovakia in Glasgow and Slovenia away.

McGhee feels there is potential to build real momentum before facing two sides currently ahead of Scotland in the group.

"When I was a club manager I always said that the fixtures can affect your season," he said.

"I remember my first season back at Motherwell and I had the players in training on a Sunday before certain matches. If you win games the players will believe that's the right thing to do.

"We were fortunate that while someone like Hibs were playing Celtic, Rangers and Hearts, we had all the teams we imagined we should be beating like Gretna, Inverness, St Mirren."

He added: "We had a run were we racked up something like 13 points from 15. We probably weren't playing any better than Hibs but we didn't have to face the opposition they were.

"What it did do, though, was give us a huge leg up and huge belief. So it can be the same here and we have got to believe that we can roll up the confidence.

"To have what on paper looks like the less difficult games at the end of the campaign is the right order. There is no doubt if we win these two games this weekend we will take some beating in the last couple."