Scotland travel to Skopje this evening in search of their first victory under new head coach Sébastien Pocognoli as they take on North Macedonia in Nations League Group B1 action, with both sides desperate to arrest troubling early-campaign form.
The Belgian tactician, who took charge following Steve Clarke's exit after the World Cup, has yet to taste victory in his short tenure. His start included a respectable goalless draw away to Slovenia, followed by a chastening 3-0 home defeat to Switzerland at Hampden Park, a match further complicated by Jack Hendry's early dismissal.
That suspension forces changes to the Scotland backline, with Pocognoli bringing in Stephen Welsh and Ben Doak as part of two alterations to his starting eleven. The visitors go into the match sitting third in the group standings with just a single point from two outings, ahead only of tonight's hosts on goal difference.
North Macedonia have endured an even tougher start to the campaign, losing both of their opening fixtures while shipping five goals in the process. Seeking a response, the home side have made wholesale changes, with six fresh faces entering the lineup including Omeragikj, Elezi, Mitrovski, Atanasov, Stojchevski and Musliu.
Scotland's starting eleven reads: Gunn, Welsh, McKenna, Binks, Doak, Ferguson, Gilmour, Robertson, McGinn, Bowie, McBurnie. North Macedonia line up as: Dimitrievski, Mladenovski, Meljichi, Musliu, Ilievski, Gashtarov, Stankovski, Herrera, Bardhi, Elmas, Miovski. French official Francois Letexier takes charge of proceedings.
Ahead of the fixture, Aston Villa captain John McGinn addressed the scrutiny he has faced over his recent performances for the national team, acknowledging that his place among the first-choice players has come under question following a disappointing World Cup campaign and the opening two matches of this Nations League window.
The 31-year-old, who boasts 91 international caps and has represented Scotland at three major tournaments, reflected on how experience has helped him navigate fluctuating public opinion. "The nature of the beast is, at club and country, you have a lot of responsibility, a lot of weight on your shoulders," McGinn explained. "When you do something well, you're the best thing since sliced bread. When you don't have a great couple of games... you're automatically not good enough."
McGinn went on to describe how he has learned to shield himself from outside noise, particularly following setbacks such as the home loss to Switzerland. "It's the nature of competing with Scotland and with Aston Villa. I take the praise with a big smile. Any criticism that comes, it's just part of it... Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but if you go through a spell where you're not doing too well, you need to find that inner self-belief."
He added that maturity has altered his approach to dealing with both triumph and disappointment. "The older you get, you learn how to manage tough moments better. You know after a game like Switzerland, losing 3-0 at home, do you turn the telly on? No. Do you listen to radio reports? No... The lows get lower, and the highs become less high. But you certainly deal with it a lot better when you're older."
McGinn concluded by noting the shift in mentality that comes with experience: "I think when you're younger, it completely consumes you, and you try and work too hard... But I feel as if I'm managing those times well, and they come quite often... the challenges come in different ways, and I'm used to dealing with them."
Elsewhere in the group, Spain hosted Czechia in Oviedo without midfielder Fabián Ruiz, who departed the squad to be present for the birth of his first child in Paris. The Paris Saint-Germain player had started both of Spain's opening victories over England and Croatia, and it remains unclear whether he will return in time for the reigning world champions' final window fixture against Croatia in Split. Switzerland also took on Slovenia in a separate Group B1 encounter on the same evening.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.