Scotland hand Montgomery his first call-up

For a midfielder plying his trade in the Championship, a first Scotland call-up doesn't come around quietly. Montgomery's inclusion is the kind of nod that changes how a season feels: one minute you're grinding through fixtures at Ewood Park, the next you're in a national team squad for the first time.

A gap where Tierney and McLean stood

The bigger story for Scotland fans might be who's missing rather than who's arrived. Kieran Tierney has been a fixture at left-back for well over half a decade, and Kenny McLean has been a dependable presence in central midfield. Both dropping out of the same Nations League squad leaves real holes for whoever's picking the team.

BBC Sport's report doesn't detail why either player is out, so there's no confirmation yet of injury, form or a tactical call. What's clear is that Scotland head into these Nations League fixtures without two players who've been squad regulars for years, and that opens the door for someone else to step in.

Montgomery's moment

That someone, for now, includes Montgomery. First call-ups tend to arrive on the back of a run of form, and this one puts a Championship midfielder into a senior international squad picture alongside players from bigger leagues. Whether he gets minutes on the pitch is a separate question, but simply being named changes his stock overnight.

Scotland's Nations League squad will now be shaped as much by who isn't there as by who is. Montgomery gets his shot to make an impression; Tierney and McLean will be waiting to find out when, or if, they're back in the picture.