Scott Murray, Scotland’s most capped player, seems to have come to the end of his international career after being left out of the squad session being called next week to prepare for this season’s RBS Six Nations Championship. His omission shatters the 87-cap lock’s dream of becoming the first Scotland player to reach the landmark of a century of appearances.

Though Frank Hadden, the national coach, went out of his way to say that the door remains open for a return, Murray is 32 and time is running out for the only player to win the Famous Grouse Scotland Player of the Season prize three times.

He is the only player from the World Cup squad to be left out of the 35-man training party without being affected by injury or other commitments. Marcus Di Rollo has been omitted at his own request while he fights for a place with Toulouse, the club that he joined in the summer, but he made it clear that his unavailability is only temporary, his chances having been hampered by a persistent groin injury.

The same is also true of Scott Lawson, who has made only seven appearances for Sale this season, and is also omitted, almost certainly handing the starting hooker spot for the opening game against France at Murrayfield to Ross Ford and lining up Fergus Thomson for his third cap from the bench.

The other absentee is Craig Smith, the prop who has had a persistent calf injury, while Andy Henderson, Rob Dewey, the centres, and Simon Taylor, the No 8, have been invited along despite carrying injuries that mean they are unlikely to be available for the opening games.

Murray is in a category of his own. He is fit and playing regularly for Montauban, his club, but has still been left out, with Ally Kellock, the Glasgow captain, being invited to fill the fourth lock berth in the training party.

Murray fell out of favour during the World Cup as Hadden and George Graham, the forwards coach, opted for a more robust, physical approach depending on the bulk and power of Jim Hamilton, who is 2½ stone heavier than Murray, to partner Nathan Hines, while Scott MacLeod gave them a more athletic option from the bench.

It is not, however, the first time it has looked as though Murray’s career was over and he has always managed to bounce back in the past. This time, however, it is hard to see how he can make it back, except as emergency cover for one of the four locks preferred to him, even though his arrival at Montauban has helped to propel the unfashionable French club up the table in the Top 14 to fifth place, including a win over Stade Français just before Christmas.

He has always said that he will never retire from being available for Scotland, but that 100-cap milestone looks farther away than ever.

Elsewhere, there are few surprises, though the injuries that keep Dewey and Henderson out of action do provide unexpected openings for Calum MacRae, the Edinburgh centre who has seen hardly any action after picking up an ankle injury in the summer and then finding it hard to break into the club team, and Graeme Morrison, who was also injured at the start of the season.

On the positive side, Simon Danielli is over the various injury problems that kept him out of contention during the World Cup, and regains a place in the squad, as does Thom Evans, who has been struggling to shake off a hamstring problem that has been niggling him for a couple of months. Ben Cairns reaps the reward of consistent performances for Edinburgh at both full back and centre with his first senior squad call-up.

“I continue to be impressed with the competition for places in the squad,” Hadden said. “A number of players have maintained their good form from the World Cup, but they are going to be pushed extremely hard by some of our young, up-and-coming talent.” Jason White keeps the captaincy after missing last season’s Six Nations with a knee injury but regaining the leadership role during the World Cup. “He is a key figure for us,” Hadden said. “He sets the tone as a leader both on and off the field and I look forward to working with him again during this season’s championship,” Hadden said.