Oli McBurnie has been recalled to the Scotland squad for the first time in five years by new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. The 30-year-old striker is one of several fresh faces in a 26-man group that includes seven uncapped players for the upcoming Nations League matches against Slovenia, North Macedonia, and Switzerland.
Pocognoli, who will take charge for the first time in Slovenia on Saturday, described the selection as a fresh start. "It's a new opportunity for some players, a really new beginning for the other ones," he said. The Belgian added, "I have to start a new journey, start a new book."
The seven uncapped players called up are defenders Luis Binks of Brondby and Colby Donovan of Celtic, midfielder Josh McPake, and forwards Robbie Ure, Kieron Bowie, Findlay Curtis, and Ben Gannon-Doak. Ure, 22, recently completed a £5.5 million move from Sirius to Sevilla, while Donovan, 20, is a highly-rated prospect at Celtic. Defender Luke Graham, 22, who won both Dundee's players' player and young player of the year awards, also receives his first senior call-up.
Billy Gilmour returns to the squad after missing the World Cup through injury. Other recalls include Scott Bain, Josh Doig, Lennon Miller, and James Wilson, who at 19 is recognised for his early-season performances. Jon McCracken, 26, has been in squads before but is still awaiting his first cap.
The squad is without several key figures. Scott McTominay is unavailable following a minor heart procedure, while strikers Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland are injured, with Shankland ruled out for up to four months with a hamstring problem. Veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon has retired, and defenders Grant Hanley and John Souttar are also absent. Dominic Hyam, Anthony Ralston, Tyler Fletcher, Lyndon Dykes, George Hirst, and Ross Stewart complete the list of those missing.
Pocognoli's first task is to steer a side sitting third in their World Cup group with three points from three games. Their recent form shows three wins and two defeats from the last five, though they have lost their last two matches, including a 3-0 defeat to Brazil in June. The immediate focus shifts to the Nations League, with the full schedule available on our fixtures page.
The recalled McBurnie first featured for Scotland in 2018 and has 16 caps, with his last appearance coming in 2021. While he has never scored in open play for his country, he did convert a penalty in the Euro 2020 shootout. His experience joins that of 14 players who were part of the recent World Cup squad.
Pocognoli's tenure begins away to Slovenia on 26 September, followed by a home game against Switzerland three days later. The squad then travels to face North Macedonia on 3 October before hosting Slovenia again on 6 October to conclude this international window. Fans can track the team's progress and view the full squad list on our squad page.
Read the full report at BBC Sport Football
