Sebastien Pocognoli's Bold Scotland Squad Reset

Sebastien Pocognoli has wasted no time putting his stamp on Scotland.

In his first squad since taking the job, the Belgian has ripped up the familiar script and turned hard towards the future, naming five uncapped players and leaving out a dozen World Cup veterans. This is not a gentle evolution. It is a reset.

New faces, new direction

The headline arrivals are Sevilla striker Robbie Ure and Brondby captain Luis Binks, both rewarded after eye-catching spells abroad. Celtic right-back Colby Donovan, Hearts winger Josh McPake and Swansea defender Stephen Welsh complete the group of first-time call-ups for the upcoming Nations League campaign.

Ure’s inclusion feels symbolic. Once of Rangers’ academy, he chose an unconventional route, exploding in Sweden with Sirius where he scored 20 goals in 20 games before landing a move to Sevilla. At 22, and also eligible for Ukraine through a grandparent, he now steps into a Scotland squad that has long searched for a reliable No 9.

Former Scotland forward James McFadden, speaking on Sky Sports News, believes the striker has earned this moment.

“Getting that move to Sevilla shows that he has the capabilities to go and play at the highest level,” McFadden said, highlighting a position Scotland “struggled with for a number of years”. Ure, he added, has “been brave to move away and forge a career elsewhere”.

At the back, Binks arrives with leadership already stitched into his game. The 25-year-old captains Danish SuperLiga side Brondby and has previously worn Scotland colours at under-18 level before representing England in youth football. Now he returns to the thistle, this time for the senior side, as Pocognoli looks to deepen his defensive options.

Donovan has quietly played his way into the picture. The Celtic right-back has featured in every game for the champions this season and now steps in for club team-mate Anthony Ralston, who drops out of the squad. Welsh, meanwhile, is rewarded after turning a successful loan spell at Motherwell into a permanent move to Swansea and a consistent run of form.

McPake’s call-up reflects his sharp start to life at Hearts following a summer move from St Johnstone. Direct, busy and willing to take risks in the final third, he fits the profile of a winger capable of unsettling defences at this level.

McBurnie back, big names missing

Alongside the debutants comes a long-awaited recall. Hull City striker Oli McBurnie returns to the international fold, his last cap coming in 2021. His relationship with the Scotland support has often been complicated, but McFadden is in no doubt the forward has earned another chance.

“Oli deserves his opportunity,” he said. “There’s been a bit of a backlash towards Oli over the last few years. I know how passionate he is about playing for Scotland. He’s had to be patient… got back to the Premier League and Oli is definitely worth coming in and having a look at to see if he can go and make that number nine spot his own.”

If McBurnie’s name jumps off the page, so do some of the absentees.

Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, a key figure in recent qualifying campaigns, is missing as he recovers from minor heart surgery. Rangers striker Lawrence Shankland is out with a hamstring problem, while Torino forward Che Adams is also sidelined.

They are not alone. A total of 12 players from the World Cup squad are missing from Pocognoli’s first selection, underlining the scale of the transition. John Souttar, Anthony Ralston, Grant Hanley, Dominic Hyam, Tyler Fletcher, Lyndon Dykes, George Hirst and Ross Stewart are all absent.

This is not a camp for passengers or for sentiment.

Core returns and midfield reshuffle

There is experience threaded through the group. Andy Robertson, now at Tottenham, returns to captain a back line that also includes Kieran Tierney, Aaron Hickey, Scott McKenna, Jack Hendry, Nathan Patterson, Josh Doig, Luke Graham, Donovan, Binks and Welsh.

Graham’s inclusion continues his rapid rise. The Stoke City defender, capped three times at under-21 level, was part of Scotland’s pre-World Cup training camp in May and has since played every minute of Stoke’s last four Championship matches, a run that has brought three wins and a draw. He now steps into a senior environment that looks tailor-made for his momentum.

In midfield, Pocognoli welcomes back Billy Gilmour after a knee injury forced the Napoli playmaker out of Steve Clarke’s final squad. He joins Ryan Christie, Lewis Ferguson, John McGinn, Kenny McLean, McPake and Lennon Miller, who is recalled after making strides with Udinese in Serie A.

The mix is intriguing: Gilmour’s control, McGinn’s drive, Ferguson’s all-round bite, and the youthful energy of Miller and McPake. It hints at a side that will try to play, not just survive.

Between the posts and up front

In goal, Scott Bain and Jon McCracken return to the fold after Craig Gordon’s retirement from international football following the World Cup. They join Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly in a four-strong goalkeeping unit.

Up front, beyond McBurnie and Ure, Pocognoli has turned to Kieron Bowie of Sassuolo, Rangers forward Findlay Curtis, Bournemouth’s Ben Gannon-Doak and Hearts striker James Wilson. Bowie and Wilson are recalled after their own spells of progress in Italy and the Scottish Premiership respectively.

It is a forward line light on caps but heavy on possibility. Raw, yes. Predictable, no.

Full Scotland squad

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), Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Stephen Welsh (Swansea City)

Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich City), Josh McPake (Hearts), Lennon Miller (Udinese)

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

Nations League on the horizon

This new-look Scotland will not have long to settle. The Nations League schedule arrives quickly and without much room for error.

Scotland open away to Slovenia on September 26, before hosting Switzerland at Hampden on September 29. An away trip to North Macedonia on October 3 follows, with Slovenia visiting Glasgow on October 6.

The campaign concludes in November, with North Macedonia at Hampden on the 13th and a potentially decisive trip to Switzerland on the 16th.

By then, the picture will be clearer. Will Ure seize the stage he has chased across Europe? Can McBurnie finally turn persistence into ownership of that No 9 shirt? And will Pocognoli’s bold first stroke mark the start of a new era, or prove a gamble in a competition that rarely forgives hesitation?