Slovenia v Scotland LIVE: Team news and line-ups from Sebastien Pocognoli’s first game as Scotland boss

Some further analysis of that Scotland line up.

Angus Gunn takes his place as Sebastien Pocognoli’s No 1, while Brondby centre-back Luis Binks will have to wait for his debut as Jack Hendry is preferred in the back three. We expected Stephen Welsh to debut and Scott McKenna to be in there.

Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson and Napoli’s Billy Gilmour will presumably form an all-Serie A double pivot in midfield as John McGinn roams further forwards, with Aaron Hickey and Andy Robertson (who remains as skipper) providing the width.

Oli McBurnie and Robbie Ure will then form a fascinating striker duo. There are plenty of options on the bench for Pocognoli to turn to if required.

Scotland XI: Gunn; Welsh, Hendry, McKenna; Hickey, Ferguson, Gilmour, Robertson; McGinn; Ure, McBurnie

Ok, the team is in – we now know how Scotland will line up for Sebastien Pocognoli’s first fixture.

There are debuts for Swansea defender Stephen Welsh and Sevilla striker Robbie Ure, while Hull City striker Oli McBurnie will make his first appearance since 2021 as he lines up alongside Ure up top.

Pocognoli appears to be playing a back three, with Welsh alongside Jack Hendry and Scott McKenna as Aaron Hickey and captain Andy Robertson being the wing-backs.

Scotland XI: Gunn; Welsh, Hendry, McKenna; Hickey, Ferguson, Gilmour, Robertson; McGinn; Ure, McBurnie

Not long now until we find out how Scotland will line up in the first game under Pocognoli. It should be fascinating.

Will Oli McBurnie and Robbie Ure be thrust straight into the starting XI up top?

A three at the back including debutants Stephen Welsh and Luis Binks? We shall see

Speaking of the changing nature of Scotland squads – here is a reminder of the first group named by Sebastien Pocognoli, including six new faces.

Those are Swansea defender Stephen Welsh, Celtic right-back Colby Donovan, Brondby defender Luis Binks, Stoke centre-back Luke Graham, Hearts winger Josh McPake and Sevilla striker Robbie Ure. Meanwhile, Hull striker Oli McBurnie could make a first appearance since 2021.

Goalkeepers: Scott Bain (Falkirk), Angus Gunn (San Jose Earthquakes), Liam Kelly (Rangers), Jon McCracken (Bradford City)

Defenders: Luis Binks (Brondby), Josh Doig (Sassuolo), Colby Donovan (Celtic), Luke Graham (Stoke City), Jack Hendry (Al-Ettifaq), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Nathan Patterson (Torino), Andy Robertson (Tottenham), Stephen Welsh (Swansea City)

Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Josh McPake (Hearts), Lennon Miller (Udinese), Kristie Montgomery (Blackburn Rovers)

Forwards: Kieron Bowie (Sassuolo), Findlay Curtis (Rangers), Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth), Oli McBurnie (Hull City), Robbie Ure (Sevilla), James Wilson (Hearts)

There has been a fascinating transition in where Scottish players ply their club football trade over the past seven years

When Steve Clarke took charge and named his first squad in May 2019, 15 of his 27-man group played in Scotland, with a further 11 from the Premier League or the Championship in England.

By contrast, Pocognoli’s first squad named ahead of the new season of the Nations League features as many names who play in Italy (six) as there are from the Scottish Premiership, and that’s still without the unavailable Serie A-based Scott McTominay and Che Adams.

Let’s hope Sebastien Pocognoli is more amenable to media questions, even in the tough moments…

Other appointments may have attracted more attention across the increasingly star-studded realm of international managers. It is hardly Sebastien Pocognoli’s fault, though, that unlike Jurgen Klopp or Zinedine Zidane or Thomas Tuchel or Carlo Ancelotti he is not yet a Champions League winning coach, armed with a CV that contains titles and trophies at Europe’s biggest clubs.

At 39, the Belgian is at the start of his managerial career, rather than approaching the end, having overseen just 107 senior games in spells at two clubs, Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco.

But look around the countries embracing a fresh start following the summer’s World Cup and there is an argument that the challenge facing Pocognoli with Scotland is the most compelling of all.

That the Scottish Football Association has embraced the opportunity for a clean slate with such a bold and left-field choice, following seven years of playing safe under the risk-averse Steve Clarke, is notable in itself; Pocognoli has been charged with taking Scotland in a new direction, just at the moment when the options available to the Scotland manager have undergone a drastic change.

Read Jamie Braidwood’s full analysis of an absolutely fascinating hire:

How will Sebastien Pocognoli do things as Scotland boss? It’s going to be absolutely fascinating today.

He took the squad for a walk around Ljubljana earlier today before heading to the stadium

To be honest, we’re shooting in the dark a little bit in terms of knowing exactly how Sebastien Pocognoli will want his team to line up/how to play.

But, in terms of absences, Pocognoli is without Scott McTominay, Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland, while Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean also withdrew from the squad.

Hull City striker Oli McBurnie has been recalled to the Scotland squad and could make his first appearance since 2021, while Swansea defender Stephen Welsh, Celtic right-back Colby Donovan, Brondby defender Luis Binks, Stoke centre-back Luke Graham, Hearts winger Josh McPake and Sevilla striker Robbie Ure have all received their first call-ups.

McBurnie and Ure could feature in the attack, due to absences of Adams, Shankland and Steve Clarke favourite Lyndon Dykes, while Welsh and Binks could come straight into a new-look defence, potentially as part of a back-three.

Possible Scotland XI: Gunn; Welsh, Binks, McKenna; Hickey, Ferguson, Gilmour, Robertson; McGinn; Ure, McBurnie

Scotland face Slovenia at Stadion Stozice in Ljubljana this afternoon, with kick-off at 2pm BST.

The match will be shown live on BBC One, with coverage from 1:45pm.