Scotland manager Sebastien Pocognoli has recalled Scott McTominay to the national squad following minor heart surgery, expressing his confidence that the midfielder will be instrumental in ushering in a new era for the team. McTominay, one of the team's captains, underwent a procedure in September for mild benign arrhythmia and missed the previous Nations League camp.
McTominay has since returned to action for Italian club Napoli, scoring four goals. He is now set to feature in Scotland's upcoming double-header matches against North Macedonia and Switzerland. "He’s one of the captains, so there’s a special contact with them, but he’s looking forward to come, to play for us, to play in a different way, on the pitch and he is very positive," Pocognoli stated when naming his squad at Hampden Park.
The squad also sees the return of striker Che Adams, who was absent last month due to a muscle strain. Left-back James Penrice, currently on loan at Rangers from AEK Athens, has earned his first call-up. Kieran Tierney, a left-back for Celtic, is also back in the fold after withdrawing from Pocognoli's debut squad. However, centre-back Scott McKenna is unavailable due to a reported back strain, and Josh Doig, Colby Donovan, James Wilson, and Lennon Miller have been omitted from the previous selection.
Pocognoli highlighted the importance of experienced players like McTominay, Adams, and Tierney in guiding the younger members of the squad. "If you accumulate the caps, we have some experience that will be useful for this camp and to also embrace the young lads - because we still have a young squad with many players who don’t have a lot of caps," he said. "I’m sure the mix will be good and these (experienced) players will also show the way for them."
Scotland currently sits third in Group B1 of the Nations League with four points from four games, trailing Slovenia by three points and leaders Switzerland by eight. They are scheduled to host North Macedonia at Hampden on November 13, followed by a trip to Switzerland three days later. Pocognoli views these matches as an opportunity to gather information and prepare for the upcoming 2028 European Championship qualifying campaign.
Regarding the inclusion of Penrice, Pocognoli noted that selections are based on club performance and tactical fit. "We have some missing players around the left side, so, combined with his quality and what we are looking for on the pitch, it’s a logical choice for me," he explained. "It can be very useful for the system that we want to play and also I think he deserves it."