McTominay's back, and so is Scotland's engine room

Pocognoli's team sheet for these two fixtures reads like a man restocking his options after a run without his biggest names available. McTominay slots straight back into a midfield that has missed his engine, his goals and his habit of turning up in the right box at the right time whenever Scotland have needed a lift in recent years.

The McTominay effect

There's no getting around how much Scotland's midfield shape changes when McTominay is in it. He covers ground, breaks lines with a pass and still arrives late into the area like a man who never quite accepted he was supposed to be a holding midfielder. Against North Macedonia and then Switzerland, both away from home in a Nations League window that will shape where Scotland sit in the group, having him back changes the calculation.

Tierney's recall matters in a quieter way. The left-back has been a mainstay of this squad for years, and his return gives Pocognoli a defender who knows the system without needing it explained twice. Adams, too, slots back in as a forward option who has scored for Scotland before and understands exactly what's being asked of him up top.

Penrice's moment

And then there's James Penrice. The left-back gets his first senior call-up in this squad, which for most uncapped players means a seat on the bench and a long wait. But a window with Tierney needing minutes managed and two fixtures inside a few days is exactly the kind of squad list where a debutant can find himself needed sooner than he expected.

It's the subplot every squad announcement needs: the established names returning to shore things up, and one uncapped player given the call that changes how he watches the warm-up. Penrice doesn't need to start either game to make this call-up count. He just needs to be in the squad photo when it's North Macedonia away and Switzerland to follow, and know Pocognoli rated him enough to put him there.

What's at stake

Nations League fixtures tend to get talked down until the group table is actually in front of people, and then everyone remembers they carry real weight. Scotland's two matches against North Macedonia and Switzerland will go a long way to deciding where this group finishes, and Pocognoli has built a squad around experience returning at exactly the moment it's needed.