McTominay’s role a poser for Pocognoli as Scotland offer positives in Slovenia

New coach still learning about his squad as they prepare to face Switzerland with the Napoli midfielder expected to return in November

An elongated international window does not prevent Sébastien Pocognoli from glancing towards the next one. Scott McTominay’s absence from Scotland’s opening set of Nations League games is understandable as the Napoli midfielder recovers from a heart procedure.

The scoreless draw in Slovenia on Saturday raised the question of where McTominay will fit in when he returns. “He can play in many positions,” Pocognoli said. “He is a top player so he can read the game. We will see.”

Indeed we will. The answer is not immediately obvious. Pocognoli deployed Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson as central midfielders in Ljubljana with John McGinn placed ahead of them to support a two-man strike force. Gilmour was heavily influential during Scotland’s impressive second half. Ferguson’s combative and defensive skills are valuable. McGinn, like McTominay, is a mainstay of the team. It is therefore legitimate to ask how Pocognoli handles McTominay, who is expected to return to the Scotland scene in November.

“For now we just need to put the structure in place,” Pocognoli said. “I hope Scott watched the game and thought ‘OK, I see myself in that shape in the second half’, and that with good discipline he can enjoy it. I hope he can look and think: ‘Yeah, I want to play.’