Key questions as Pocognoli names Scotland squad

Pocognoli names his second Scotland squad on Tuesday ahead of crucial Nations League matches against North Macedonia and Switzerland.

Sebastien Pocognoli faces a critical early test in his Scotland tenure as he prepares to name his second squad for the final two Nations League B1 matches. Scotland must take at least four points from home games against bottom-placed North Macedonia and table-topping Switzerland to have any chance of finishing second and reaching the promotion play-offs. A defeat at Hampden could see Scotland finish bottom and suffer relegation to League C.

Scott McTominay, who recently returned from minor heart surgery at Napoli and scored twice in his comeback, is expected to be recalled after missing the first squad. Billy Gilmour has become an automatic choice under Pocognoli alongside Lewis Ferguson of Bologna and Ryan Christie of Bournemouth, who has started four of their six straight victories without conceding. John McGinn of Aston Villa is also in contention after coming off the bench in their recent defeat.

In defence, Scott McKenna is ruled out for two weeks with Dinamo Zagreb, while Kenny McLean is a doubt for Norwich after playing only 45 minutes since withdrawing from the last squad through injury. Kieran Tierney has returned to regular action with Celtic, while captain Andy Robertson continues at Tottenham despite limited game time. Right-back remains a concern, with Colby Donovan the only regular starter at Celtic.