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Sebastien Pocognoli rings the changes in his first Scotland squad
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- Sebastien Pocognoli rings the changes in his first Scotland squad
Sebastien Pocognoli has rung the changes in his first Scotland squad with Hearts winger Josh McPake among six new call-ups.
Swansea defender Stephen Welsh , Celtic right-back Colby Donovan, Brondby defender Luis Binks , Stoke centre-back Luke Graham and Sevilla striker Robbie Ure have all been included.
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There is a also a recall for Hull striker Oli McBurnie , who last played for Scotland in March 2021.
Goalkeepers Scott Bain and Jon McCracken , Udinese midfielder Lennon Miller , Sassuolo pair Josh Doig and Kieron Bowie and Hearts attacker James Wilson have also been brought back in after missing out on Steve Clarke's World Cup squad.
Pocognoli has named a 28-man squad for the four Nations League games which kick off his Scotland tenure during the extended international break.
The Belgian makes his debut in Slovenia on September 27 and Scotland will also take on North Macedonia and Switzerland before hosting Slovenia.
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There are 12 players who have dropped out of Clarke's final World Cup squad, while Billy Gilmour is back involved after a knee injury saw him travel to the United States as a fan rather a player.
Goalkeeper Craig Gordon has since retired while there is no place for 34-year-old Hibernian defender Grant Hanley or out-of-favour Rangers centre-back John Souttar .
Wrexham centre-back Dominc Hyam is also excluded while Celtic right-back Anthony Ralston has now fallen behind Donovan in the pecking order for club and country.
Grant Hanley has dropped out (Nick Potts/PA)
Scott McTominay misses out after undergoing a minor heart procedure while there is no room for Manchester United 's Tyler Fletcher , who was a surprise call-up ahead of Miller when Gilmour withdrew from the World Cup squad.
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There is major change in the forward line with no place for any of the strikers who went to the States. Lawrence Shankland and Ross Stewart were ruled out through injury while Che Adams emerged as a doubt after missing Torino 's win over Roma on Monday with an adductor problem.
Millwall's Lyndon Dykes is a notable omission after scoring three goals in the Sky Bet Championship this season. The 30-year-old has scored 10 goals in 53 internationals and he and Adams were Clarke's favoured forwards. Stoke forward George Hirst has also been left out.
There is still an experienced core in former Union St Gilloise and Monaco manager Pocognoli's group, including Angus Gunn , Andy Robertson , Kieran Tierney , Scott McKenna , Jack Hendry , John McGinn , Ryan Christie and Kenny McLean .
:: Squad: Bain (Falkirk), Gunn ( San Jose Earthquakes ), Kelly (Rangers), McCracken (Bradford); Binks (Brondby), Doig (Sassuolo), Donovan (Celtic), Graham (Stoke), Hendry (Al Ettifaq), Hickey ( Brentford ), McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Patterson (Torino), Robertson (Tottenham), Tierney (Celtic), Welsh (Swansea); Christie ( Bournemouth ), Curtis (Rangers), Ferguson ( Bologna ), Gilmour ( Napoli ), Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth), Miller (Udinese), McLean (Norwich), McGinn ( Aston Villa ), McPake (Hearts); Bowie (Sassuolo), McBurnie (Hull), Ure (Sevilla), Wilson (Hearts).
