The Scottish FA have announced that the first Scotland squad of new boss, Seb Pocognoli, will be announced on Tuesday. With the new broom picking the first squad of the post-Steve Clarke Scotland era, there’s much anticipation to see how different the squad looks, under the new era of modernity promised by the SFA’s Chief Football Officer, Craig Mulholland. Following our piece on CBs we next ask, which MF players will Poco call up? Below we run through 17 MF candidates for what is the first Scotland squad for the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League campaign. Stats are as per time of article publication.
Connor Barron
| Age | 24 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.99 |
| Full Scotland caps | 1 |
| Year of last full cap | 2025 (away v Liechtenstein) |
| Current club | Middlesbrough (on loan from Rangers) |
| Current club division | English 2nd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 80.5 (10th globally) |
Barron moved to Boro on loan on 1st September. The height of his achievements in the 4 games Boro have since played, is that he has made the bench once. Barron didn’t play in that game. Otherwise he hasn’t been in the Boro match day squad. He is thus similarly unlikely to be in the Scotland squad next week.
Ryan Christie
| Age | 31 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.31 |
| Full Scotland caps | 71 |
| Date of latest cap | June 2026 (Neutral venue v Brazil) |
| Club | Bournemouth |
| Club division | English 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 92.1 (1st globally) |
Christie started the season with a one league game suspension carried over for a straight red at the end of last season. Otherwise he has 27 mins to his name from 3 league games. He played the full League Cup 4-0 home win against Lincoln City in which he bagged a hat-trick.
Ethan Erhahon
| Age | 25 |
| Current FotMob rating | 7.37 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Bolton Wanderers |
| Current club division | English 2nd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 80.5 (10th globally) |
A first mention on fitba.scot for the Glaswegian, ex-St Mirren player. In his first season at Bolton he helped them win promotion to England’s 2nd tier. So far this season at that new elevated level, he has posted good ratings that corroborate across different platforms. He scored his first Bolton goal in midweek with a deflected effort in the 3-2 home defeat by West Ham.
OK, Erhahon’s name is unlikely for Pocognoli’s Scotland squad to be announced next week. If though the alleged new age of data driven decision making in the Scotland setup is true, Erhahon’s solid performances will at least be on Pocognoli’s radar.
Lewis Ferguson
| Age | 27 |
| Current FotMob rating | 7.32 |
| Full Scotland caps | 27 |
| Date of latest cap | June 2026 (Neutral venue v Brazil) |
| Club | Bologna |
| Club division | Italian 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 85.2 (4th globally) |
Ferguson was easily Scotland’s best player at the World Cup & has been so over the last year. It has been a difficult start to the season for Bologna under new boss, Domenico Tedesco, with only one point from 3 Serie games so far. Ferguson though has put in good performances that have been a bright light for them. Bologna unlike last season, have no UEFA competition this season. Ferguson thus has been central to their Serie A performances, unlike last year when Vincenzo Italiano rotated him in the team, favouring playing him in European games. At time of publishing this article, Ferguson is playing away versus Billy Gilmour & Napoli.
Tyler Fletcher
| Age | 19 |
| Current FotMob rating | 7.9 |
| Full Scotland caps | 2 |
| Date of latest cap | June 2026 (Neutral venue v Bolivia) |
| Club | Manchester United |
| Club division | English 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 92.1 (1st globally) |
Opportunity missed when Fletcher was in the Scotland squad at the World Cup. In none of their 3 games at the World Cup, did Scotland end the game in a suitably comfortable position to allow subbing on Fletcher late in the game. At World Cup & major continental finals, as little as one second of match play is enough to tie any player to a nation for life. In non-World Cup & non continental finals games, that same criterion doesn’t apply. Specifically, Fletcher is under 21. Hence, he would have to play 4 games to tie himself to Scotland. Also, at least one of the 4 must be a competitive game.
In the second half of last season, Fletcher was around the fringe of Manchester United’s first-team squad. Fletcher’s current FotMob rating looks impressive. However, he was unused from the bench in the 4-0 trouncing of Sabah Baku on Thursday in the Champions League. That is his only first team matchday squad appearance this season so far.
Billy Gilmour
| Age | 25 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.03 |
| Full Scotland caps | 46 |
| Year of last full cap | 2026 (home v Curaçao) |
| Current club | Napoli |
| Current club division | Italian 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 85.2 (4th globally) |
Gilmour continues to be a squad player at Napoli. The Champions League 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal 4 days ago is the 1st game since March in which he has played 90 mins, & only the 3rd time this year. His 2 month knee injury over the Summer & 3 month groin injury last season is a cause for concern looking forward. Observers note Gilmour’s ability to retain possession and link play. The Scotland squad hugely missed that ability at the World Cup. He started the game currently in progress versus Bologna.
Hayden Hackney
| Age | 24 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.62 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Date of latest cap | N/A |
| Club | Everton |
| Club division | English 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 92.1 (1st globally) |
Since his summer transfer from Middlesbrough, Davie Moyes has used Hackney only sparingly, giving him just 137 minutes of league football on Merseyside. He most recently played international age group football for England since his 2 games for Scotland U21s. As per our analysis of the best multi-eligibility players in Pocognoli’s sights, Hayden Hackney would be a great addition to the Scotland squad if he were to switch back his allegiance.
Jordan Holsgrove
| Age | 26 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.99 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Estoril |
| Current club division | Portuguese 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 81.1 (9th globally) |
Edinburgh born Holsgrove had a good season at Ian Cathro managed Estoril last season. In that season, Holsgrove peaked when named player of the week in Portugal’s game week 11.
Holsgrove missed the first 3 games of this season through injury. In the 2 games since, new boss, Vasco Matos, subbed Holsgrove on for 45 mins in the 2-1 loss at Benfica. Holsgrove then played 87 mins last weekend in the 0-0 at home versus Arouca. Holsgrove has attracted plaudits as a talented footballer playing in a division that is highly rated. His start stop to this season though makes it very unlikely that even with a new boss in charge, that Holsgrove is announced in the Scotland squad next week.
Marc Leonard
| Age | 24 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.81 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Birmingham City |
| Current club division | English 2nd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 80.5 (10th globally) |
Leonard was widely praised for his performances on loan at Hearts in the 2nd half of last season. However, his late-season Achilles rupture is expected to keep him out of action until January. He thus won’t be in the Scotland squad announced on Tuesday.
John McGinn
| Age | 31 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.4 |
| Full Scotland caps | 89 |
| Date of latest cap | June 2026 (v Brazil) |
| Club | Aston Villa |
| Club division | English 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 92.1 (1st globally) |
After the euphoria of last season’s Europa League win, this season has been down with a bang for Villa so far; 1 point from 4 EPL games. Only pointless Coventry are currently below Villa at the bottom of the division.
McGinn, though, broke his sequence of 3 poorly rated individual performances when winning 3-2 at Brugge in midweek in the Champions League. He scored the opener in a performance rated by at least one algorithm as the best of the match. McGinn like Andy Robertson is closing down on 100 caps. Barring injury, his omission from the Scotland squad on Tuesday is unthinkable.
Jack McGrath
| Age | 17 |
| Current FotMob rating | 8.74 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Date of latest cap | N/A |
| Club | Aston Villa |
| Club division | English 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 92.1 (1st globally) |
Fitba.scot has previously championed the full Scotland squad selection of this prodigious footballing genius. Specifically that was in this article before the March internationals, in this follow up to that article 11 days later, in this pre-World Cup article, & most recently in this profile of the best multi-eligibility players in Pocognoli’s sights.
Like with Hackney, the carrot can be dangled of Scotland’s favoured qualification path for Euro 2028, compounded with host nation advantage should the Scots indeed qualify. McGrath will be 19 at the time of those finals. If he continues with his rate of development, he won’t just be good enough for the squad; he’ll be good enough to start. The Scottish creative deficiencies of World Cup 2026 will be banished.
Last season he notched 19 goals & 13 assists for Villa’s U18s. This season so far in 5 games spread across U18, U19 & U21 opposition, he’s scored 6 goals. That includes a double yesterday after subbing on in the 55th min of the 3-3 draw at Fulham U21s. He has one goal & 2 assists so far from 201 mins playing 3 games for Scotland U18s.
Kenny McLean
| Age | 34 |
| Current FotMob rating | 7.13 |
| Full Scotland caps | 61 |
| Date of latest cap | June 2026 (Neutral venue v Brazil) |
| Club | Norwich City |
| Club division | English 2nd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 80.5 (10th globally) |
The Norwich captain continues to churn out consistent performances for his club. While it is early in the season, Flashscore have him on track to attain a seasonal rating of 7.0 or better for the 5th time in 7 seasons. Part of Pocognoli’s brief though is to bring through new talent. 34-year-old McLean at the World Cup, may well have been in a Scotland squad for the last time. 61 caps is an excellent tally for anyone. 3 strikes made him an infrequent goalscorer. However, his last minute winner in Oslo & especially his halfway line worldie against Denmark, will always be remembered fondly by those in the Tartan Army who saw them.
Scott McTominay
| Age | 29 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.58 |
| Full Scotland caps | 73 |
| Date of latest cap | June 2026 (Neutral venue v Brazil) |
| Current club | Napoli |
| Club division | Italian 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 85.2 (4th globally) |
So much running & so much effort from McTominay at the World Cup, yet so little to ultimately show for it. McTominay underwent a pulsed field ablation (PFA), on 8 September in Manchester for a mild benign arrhythmia. PFA is described as a minimally invasive technique used to treat heart arrhythmia. He won’t though be in the Scotland squad that Pocognoli announces on Tuesday. All being well McTominay will be available for the 2-game international break in November.
Kristi Montgomery
| Age | 22 |
| Current FotMob rating | 7.06 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Date of latest cap | N/A |
| Club | Blackburn Rovers |
| Club division | English 2nd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 81.4 (9th globally) |
Like Erhahon, this is Kristi Montgomery’s first mention on this website. Born in Leeds to a mum from Edinburgh, he is a product of the Blackburn Rovers youth setup. He played in 21 league games last season for Rovers, developing nicely so that this season he has started all 7 Blackburn league games so far. He scored his first senior goal in midweek, a tremendous effort in the 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United. However, like others in this list, he has a challenge with midfield being the toughest part of the Scotland squad to break into, due to the standard of other MF players available.
Lennon Miller
| Age | 20 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.6 |
| Full Scotland caps | 4 |
| Year of last full cap | 2025 (home v Belarus) |
| Current club | Udinese |
| Current club division | Italian 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 85.2 (4th globally) |
Miller is by no means a first team regular at Udinese. He does though accrue minutes. In 5 Udinese league & cup games this season, Miller has subbed on in 4 of those with the 2-1 home Coppa win against Venezia 11 days ago being his only 90 mins game so far this season. Many were surprised when he was omitted from the World Cup Scotland squad. Let’s see if the new boss recalls Miller next week.
Josh Mulligan
| Age | 23 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.99 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Hibernian |
| Current club division | Scottish 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 75.3 (43rd globally) |
A January ankle injury subsequently ruled Mulligan out for all but the last 2 games of a season in which he had impressed until then. Good performances in recent games against Gent, Dundee & Hearts suggest he is starting to find form again. It seems a stretch though to think he has done enough to merit Tuesday being his first full Scotland squad call up.
Elliot Watt
| Age | 26 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.7 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Rizespor |
| Current club division | Turkish 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 78.8 (19th globally) |
A stop start career in Turkiye so far for the ex-Motherwell midfielder. After serving a one match suspension in his first game in Turkiye, he then played against Samsunspor & Fenerbahçe. However, he hasn’t made the matchday squad in the 2 games since then. Similarly, he isn’t expected in Pocognoli’s first Scotland squad next week.
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