Pocognoli names new-look Scotland squad ahead of Nations League opener in Ljubljana

Sebastien Pocognoli will make his Scotland debut as head coach in the Nations League opener, Slovenia v Scotland, in Ljubljana on Saturday 26 September at 14:00 BST after naming a 27-man squad that includes eight uncapped players.

Scotland have been training in La Manga, Spain, and the Tartan Army are preparing to take over the Slovenian capital, with the squad flying in from La Manga on Friday for Saturday's match. Pocognoli's selection, which initially drew praise from supporters calling for a shake-up, saw Findlay Curtis and James Wilson released from the senior group to join the under-21s.

There is debate over how many newcomers will start: Pat Nevin said it would be "slightly bizarre" to see any more than two uncapped starters, while James McFadden expects the team will look "pretty similar" without any "big surprises". Questions remain whether the starting XI will visibly reflect the influx of new faces when it is published on the national team's social media channels on Saturday afternoon.

Many observers are assuming Pocognoli will deploy a back three; the inclusion of Stephen Welsh, Luke Graham and Luis Binks — all new to the Scotland set-up — could signal that direction. Jack Hendry and Scott McKenna appear to be favoured options in central defence, with McKenna now facing left-footed competition from Graham and Binks. On the right of a three, McFadden suggested pushing Brentford right-back Aaron Hickey inside to help "drive" the team forward, saying: "I hope the centre-backs aren't the players on the team who have the ball the most," and "I don't want to see this centre-back to centre-back play. If they're getting it, I want them to drive and I think, if you had Hickey as a right-centre-back, he'd be driving into the play and trying to commit to going forward."

Midfield selection centers on Billy Gilmour, whose presence was missed at the World Cup and who signed off from Serie A at the weekend with a goal for Napoli. Nevin said he "will be making a swift exit from the Stozice Stadium if Gilmour is not starting," where Gilmour would likely be deployed alongside Lewis Ferguson. McFadden described Ferguson — the Bologna captain — as "One of, if not the best player for us at the World Cup," and added: "You're not going to go and change the midfield up. I don't think there's a need for a change for change's sake." John McGinn is expected to be central to Scotland's midfield; with Scott McTominay missing from the squad as he recovers from successful minor heart surgery, Nevin said: "We need his explosiveness in the final third, so I would like to see him a little bit further forward."

Up front, Bournemouth winger Ben Gannon-Doak is likely to operate on the right depending on Hickey's role, while the lead striker spot is tipped to go to Oli McBurnie, who is a 16-time capped Scotland international. McFadden said of McBurnie: "He's coming back with a point to prove, which I like," adding: "You've got someone who will give their all, which is how Oli plays anyway, and he'll feel privileged that he's got the opportunity to play again. "It's a big opportunity, because over the last couple of years we've been so used to seeing Che Adams, Lyndon Dykes and Lawrence Shankland, so it'll be nice to see a bit of freshness up there." The remaining forward spot, on the left of the front three, is expected to be contested with Bournemouth's Ryan Christie noted as familiar with that responsibility.

Pocognoli has said he feels a "positive nervousness" ahead of his Scotland debut, and there has been coverage of "Sebastien Pocognoli on his phone call from Steve Clarke" in reporting around the squad announcement. Wilson and Curtis have left the senior camp to rejoin the under-21s ahead of their fixtures.

The immediate next steps are the public release of Scotland's starting line-up on the national team's social channels on Saturday afternoon and the Nations League match against Slovenia in Ljubljana on Saturday 26 September at 14:00 BST.