Pocognoli weighs Scotland's attacking options for first home game against Switzerland

Sébastien Pocognoli will take charge of Scotland at Hampden Park for the first time against Switzerland on Tuesday, with his attacking selection under scrutiny after a goalless opening Nations League match in Slovenia. Scotland created chances after a slow start in Ljubljana but could not score; the new head coach must now decide whether to keep the two-striker setup and when to use winger Ben Gannon-Doak.

The Group B1 match kicks off at 19:45 UK time on 29 September. The Scottish Football Association says the players who featured against Slovenia came through without new injuries, while Scott McTominay, Che Adams, Lawrence Shankland, Kenny McLean and Kieran Tierney remain absent. The starting XI has yet to be announced.

Keep the shape or change the attack?

Pocognoli began his tenure with Robbie Ure and Oli McBurnie together up front. Ure struck a post shortly before half-time against Slovenia, while McBurnie and substitute Kieron Bowie also had chances. The BBC identifies those three as Scotland's striker options for the Switzerland match, making the choice between two central forwards and a different attacking balance a live one rather than a settled decision.

The coach has defended the work of his forwards. Speaking to the Scottish FA before Tuesday's game, Pocognoli said he was disappointed Scotland had not scored in Slovenia but did not regard scoring as a concern because ‘we have good strikers’. He said Scotland would try to be aggressive and take control at home. His view after the draw was similarly mixed: he praised movement through the team and the clean sheet, while adding, ‘we want to win’.

That distinction matters to the selection: Gannon-Doak could provide attacking impetus from the start or be used when the match opens up, but neither role has been confirmed. Pocognoli told the Guardian he first wants to put a structure in place and is open to exploring different shapes as players develop. His comments suggest a decision shaped by how much control he expects Scotland to have, rather than by a fixed demand to start every available attacker.

The defensive and midfield choices

Scotland used three centre-backs in Ljubljana, with Jack Hendry and debutant Stephen Welsh alongside Scott McKenna. Andy Robertson and Hickey were the wing-backs. The BBC observed that Slovenia repeatedly got behind Scotland's high defensive line in the first half, even though the visitors improved after the interval. Pocognoli later praised the team's second-half positioning and counter-press, giving him evidence both for keeping that approach and for considering how to protect it against Switzerland.

Welsh was one of eight uncapped players selected for Pocognoli's first squad, according to the BBC, and he and Ure both started against Slovenia. The Scottish FA says both made their international debuts there. Whether either retains a starting place for a first Hampden appearance under the new coach remains unknown. Robertson, meanwhile, won his 98th cap in Slovenia and would move to 99 if selected on Tuesday, the association says.

The Guardian reported that Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson played in central midfield against Slovenia, with John McGinn ahead of them behind the two forwards. It described Gilmour as particularly influential after half-time. Keeping that arrangement would preserve the relationships formed in Pocognoli's first game; changing the number of forwards could also change what is asked of McGinn and the two deeper midfielders.

Ferguson has a role beyond his place on the team sheet. He told the Scottish FA that Pocognoli had discussed his growing responsibility as a more experienced member of a squad that has changed substantially since his first camp. McTominay is unavailable for this match. The Guardian reported that he is expected to return to the Scotland setup in November after a heart procedure, although the Scottish FA's current team update gives no return date for him or the other named absentees.

A stronger test at Hampden

Switzerland arrive after beating North Macedonia 3-0 in their Nations League opener, a result noted by both the Scottish FA and the Guardian. The result gives Pocognoli an immediate test of whether Scotland can reproduce their stronger second half in Slovenia against an opponent that has already won in the group. The Scottish FA calls Switzerland a stern test; Pocognoli said Scotland respect them but want to show they are at home and take control if they can.

The teams last met at Euro 2024, drawing 1-1, according to the Scottish FA. Its preview says Scotland's most recent victory over Switzerland came at Euro 1996 through an Ally McCoist goal. That history supplies context for the fixture, but Tuesday's selection turns on the squad Pocognoli has now: five established players are absent, two newcomers have already started and the coach is still deciding how to combine control with attacking threat.

Supporters will see the answer when the teams are named before kickoff. For now, the confirmed picture is a Scotland side without fresh injuries from Slovenia, an available group of forwards that includes Ure, McBurnie and Bowie, and a coach who has left room to adapt his formation. BBC Two Scotland and the BBC Scotland website are due to begin coverage at 19:30 UK time, according to the Scottish FA.