James Penrice earns first Scotland call-up as McTominay returns for Nations League

James Penrice has received his first call-up to the Scotland national team as head coach Sebastien Pocognoli prepares for a crucial Nations League double-header against North Macedonia and Switzerland. The Rangers defender has impressed since joining on loan from AEK Athens and steps in to replace the injured Josh Doig. Penrice's inclusion highlights the coaching staff's confidence in his abilities as they look to secure vital points in the competition.

Scott McTominay returns to the squad after missing the previous camp due to minor heart surgery. The 29-year-old has been in fine form for Napoli, starting the last seven matches and scoring four goals. His return is expected to bolster Scotland's midfield as they aim to secure at least four points from their final two games in League B1 to maintain hopes of finishing second in the group.

Torino striker Che Adams also makes his return after recovering from a thigh strain that kept him out of Pocognoli's first squad. Blackburn's Kristi Montgomery retains his place after being called up to replace Kenny McLean, who remains unavailable. Celtic's Kieran Tierney is back in the fold, while Dinamo Zagreb defender Scott McKenna is sidelined due to injury, and Celtic's Colby Donovan has been omitted from the squad.

Scotland faces a challenging path ahead, needing to secure points from both matches to have any chance of reaching the promotion play-offs. They also rely on Slovenia to drop points in their fixtures against North Macedonia and Switzerland. The threat of relegation to League C looms if Scotland fails to perform in their opening match at Hampden Park. The squad is set for its fixtures against North Macedonia on November 13 and Switzerland on November 16.

via Sky Sports