Key events
Scotland: The national team’s unproven head coach represents a potentially shrewd gamble made by an organisation that could do without another embarrassing episode, writes Ewan Murray.
Slovenia v Scotland line-ups
Slovenia (possible 4-4-2): Oblak; Brekalo, Bijol, Drkusic, Janza; Karnicnik, Cerin, Elsnik, Matko; Sturm, Sporar.
Subs: Vidovsek, Leban, Balkovec, Zabukovnik, Kuzmic, Begic, Lovric, Celar, Svetlin, Zec, Vipotnik, Horvat.
Scotland (possible 5-3-2): Gunn; Hickey, McKenna, Hendry, Welsh, Robertson; McGinn, Gilmour, Ferguson; McBurnie, Ure.
Subs: Kelly, Bain, Binks, Doig, Christie, Miller, McPake, Gannon-Doak, Graham, Bowie, Patterson, Montgomery.
Oli McBurnie starts for Scotland
Scotland: Sebastien Pocognoli picks his first Scotland team and has handed debuts to Swansea City centre-back Stephen Welsh and Sevilla striker Robbie Ure. Oli McBurnie also gets the nod and will make his first appearance for Scotland since March 2021.
Early Slovenia team news: The headline story from the home camp is that Benjamin Sesko has withdrawn from their squad. The Manchester United striker has featured in six Manchester United games this season, mainly off the bench, but is suffering from a shin injury.
“I am very sorry that I will have to miss the next matches of the national team,” he posted on Instagram. “I have always played for Slovenia and will always play with heart and pride. The most important thing now is to fully dedicate myself to recovery. “I am already working on getting back on the field as soon as possible and helping the national team and the club again.”
Slovan Bratislava striker Andraz Sporar could lead the Slovenia line in the big man’s absence. Defenders Kenan Bajiric and Marcel Ratnik have also been forced out of the squad with injury. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak will skipper the Slovenia side and is set to earn his 85th international cap.
Early Scotland team news: After his omission from Scotland’s World Cup squad caused no end of consternation, Oli McBurnie earns the recall his early-season Premier League performances for Hull City deserve. He is joined by a host of untried talent, including Luis Binks (Brondby), Luke Graham (Stoke City), Luke Graham (Stoke City), Josh McPake (Hearts), Robbie Ure (Sevilla), Colby Donovan (Celtic), John McCracken (Bradford City) and Stephen Welsh (Swansea City).
There is no place in Pocognoli’s squad for World Cup particpants Lyndon Dykes, Ross Stewart, George Hirst, Grant Hanley, John Souttar and Anthony Ralston, while goalkeeper Craig Gordon has retired.
Scott McTominay, Che Adams, Lawrence Shankland are all unavailable through injury, while Kenny McLean and Kieran Tierney also withdrew from the squad earlier this week. Along with McBurnie, Aaron Hickey, Lewis Ferguson, Josh Doig and Kieron Bowie return to the Scotland squad after missing out on World Cup selection.
Group B1: Slovenia v Scotland
New campaign, new coach, clean slate. Scotland are in Ljubljana to play their Nations League opener under their freshly appointed head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. The former Belgium defender was appointed Steve Clarke’s replacement, following the 63-year-old’s decision to step down in the wake of Scotland’s underwhelming performances at the World Cup and says he is “excited and curious” to learn about his charges.
Pocognoli has introduced eight uncapped players to a squad from which several members of the squad that went to North America have been culled. A full fifteen of the players in the original Scotland squad for this game were not at the World Cup under Clarke. Slovenia have nevewr beaten Scotland in five previous meetings but have drawn their two most recent encounters. This is their head caoch Bostjan Cesar’s fourth game in charge and he is looking for his second win.
The last time Scotland played in Slovenia, a 2-2 draw in October 2017 ended their hopes of qualifying for Russia 2018 and prompted the then coach Gordon Strachan to question Scottish football’s DNA. They have qualified for three major tournaments since and with their qualification for Euro 2028 all but assured before a ball is kicked (caveat: this is Scotland we’re talking about), it will be down to Pocognoli to try to get his team over the historically insurmountable hurdle of getting them past the group stage. Kick-off at Stadion Stozice is at 2pm (BST) but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
Leave a Reply