Scotland predicted XI vs. Slovenia: Five changes made as Spurs and Aston Villa players start for Pocognoli

A new era of Scottish football gets underway on Saturday when Sébastien Pocognoli takes charge of his first match against Slovenia in the Nations League – but the Belgian manager’s options are restricted by injuries as the extended international break gets underway.

Three players, including key midfielder Scott McTominay, were unavailable for selection ahead of the match in Ljubljana, while Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean both withdrew from the Scotland squad due to injury issues. With no fewer than eight players hoping to collect their first caps for their country, the team could look very different from the side which was knocked out of the World Cup by Brazil back in June.

With kick-off fast approaching, we’ve collected all of the latest Scotland team news and injury updates below, along with our prediction for Pocognoli’s starting line-up against Slovenia.

Tierney & McLean out as Scotland handle injury headaches

Preparations for Pocognoli’s first match have been hampered by a handful of injuries to key players, with Celtic defender Kieran Tierney and Norwich City midfielder Kenny McLean both withdrawing from the squad due to fitness issues.

Tierney, who has had a torrid time with injuries in recent years, sustained a knock during Celtic’s 1-0 defeat to Rangers over the weekend and pulled out of international duty as a result, while the 34-year-old McLean hurt his ankle towards the end of his side’s match against Bolton Wanderers.

They will watch from the sidelines alongside Scott McTominay, who continues his recovery from heart surgery which took place earlier this month. The minimally-invasive procedure, which was intended to correct an irregular heart rhythm, was described as a “complete success” and the Napoli star is expected to return to full training in the coming days with a plan to return to action after the international break.

Strikers Ché Adams and Lawrence Shankland, meanwhile, were ruled out ahead in advance due to respective thigh and hamstring injuries. Adams should be back in time to feature in the November internationals, but Rangers’ Shankland isn’t likely to return until the new year.

There have been no reports regarding fresh injury issues during Scotland’s training camp so Pocognoli should otherwise have a full slate of players to choose from – while Slovenia’s own preparations have been marred by the withdrawal of Manchester United striker Benjamin Šeško.

New faces as Pocognoli prepares for first match

Predicting the exact make-up of Pocognoli’s first squad is a challenge, but he is expected to stick with the 3-4-1-2 formation he used at both Monaco and Union Saint-Gilloise.

That could mean a much-changed team, especially given that eight players in the squad could collect their first senior caps – including Blackburn Rovers midfielder Kristi Montgomery, who was added to the squad in the wake of Tierney and McLean’s withdrawals. Pocognoli is likely to strike a balance between old and new faces and has suggested in media interviews that he intends to ensure some continuity in order “to keep the cohesion in the team."

Perhaps the most interesting selection dilemma comes in attack. The new Scotland head coach typically utilises a narrow front three, which may not suit out-and-out wingers like Ben Gannon-Doak, who became an important player under former head coach Steve Clarke. Gannon-Doak’s club team-mate Ryan Christie could start in his place as a result.

Scotland predicted line-up vs. Slovenia (3-4-2-1): Gunn; Hendry, McKenna, Welsh; Robertson, Ferguson, Gilmour, Hickey; McGinn, Christie; McBurnie.