Scotland begin preparations for the start of their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in September with a friendly double-header this week.
Steve Clarke's side face Iceland at Hampden Park on Friday night before travelling to Liechenstein on Monday for their final warm-up match ahead of the bid to reach the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year.
The Scots are looking to bounce back from a sour end to their Nations League campaign back in March when they succumbed to a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Greece in their League A/B play-off with a 3-0 loss in the second leg at Hampden coming as a major disappointment following the 1-0 away victory in the first leg four days earlier.
The setback - which ended a run a three successive victories - meant Scotland lost their place in the top tier of the Nations League as they were relegated back to League B after one campaign in League A.
Scotland will now look to restore some positivity against two opponents they will be expected to beat. Iceland have tumbled down the Fifa rankings in recent years after the highs of reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and qualifying for their first World Cup in 2020.
Now down at 74th, they finished third in their Nations League B section behind Wales and Turkey, but in front of Montenegro, who they registered their two wins against. Liechtenstein, meanwhile, are ranked 205th in the world, and lost twice to San Marino in their Nations League D campaign, one of only five teams below them in the rankings.
Clarke has a decision to make over his team selection and tactics for both matches. He has named seven uncapped players in his squad but is without regulars Craig Gordon, Kenny McLean, Ryan Christie and Lyndon Dykes through injury.
A fully fit Kieran Tierney also resurfaces an old dilemma for Clarke over how to incorporate both the returning Celtic left-back and Liverpool’s Andy Robertson in the same starting line-up with a possible return to a back three, or an experimental option at his disposal.
Here is how we predict Clarke could line up against Iceland at Hampden on Friday...
9. Scott McTominay - AMC
First name on the Scotland teamsheet. What a debut season the midfielder has had with Napoli, playing a huge role in their Serie A title win with 13 goals and six assists to earn hero status among the club's supporters. He is similarly revered by the Tartan Army with 12 goals in 60 caps for Scotland. Will play just behind the striker and look to add to his international goal tally. | SNS Group
10. Kieran Tierney - AML
The returning Celtic left-back has been deployed as a left-winger before - once with Arsenal in the Champions League and also as a late substitute for Scotland in the Nations League play-off first leg victory away to Greece. A home friendly against Iceland could be the time to properly experiment with this set-up as an alternative solution to the three at the back system which was ditched after a dismal Euro 2024 campaign. | SNS Group
11. George Hirst - CF
Having made an effort to convice Hirst to switch allegience from England, Steve Clarke may be minded to give the Ipswich striker his chance from the start after handing him his Scotland debut off the bench in the Nations League play-off matches against Greece. Che Adams hasn't been scoring regularly enough for Scotland, could Hirst be the answer? | SNS Group