Scotland coach Stuart McCall has insisted the nation’s young guns are not heading to Croatia to be lambs to the slaughter.
A combination of call-offs and a desire to bring younger talent through means it will be a relatively inexperienced team that takes the field in Zagreb on Friday against a Croatian side still firmly in the hunt for World Cup qualification.
Scotland sit bottom of Group A and have merely pride to play for, while Friday’s hosts sit second behind group leaders Belgium on goal difference.
That situation has a number of Tartan Army members fearing the worst when the two countries clash this week, but McCall has urged supporters to put faith in a 24-man squad which includes five players yet to play for their country at senior level.
Dundee United duo Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong are among those vying for a starting place at the Stadion Maksimir, but McCall reckons the presence of all the younger players will only serve to strengthen the Scotland set-up.
“We know it’s going to be a tough ask against a top side and when you look at the players who won’t be involved, there’s a lot of experience gone out of the side,” he said.
“But with that comes a youthfulness, a zest. Leigh Griffiths joined up with us on Sunday and has looked really sharp as have a couple of other young boys like Armstrong and Mackay-Steven.
“Obviously it’s a lot to ask to play the majority of them in such a tough place, but between now and Friday we’ve got to try and get the positives and work with the players who are going to be part of the squad going forward.”
“We can’t look upon it as doom and gloom, we’ve got to go and be as bright and as positive as we can,”McCall added.
“I was fortunate in my time to play for Scotland sides up against the odds going to tough places, but as an individual you’ve just got to be the best you can be.
“On Friday night why can’t Allan McGregor have the best game he’s ever had in a Scotland shirt?
“But we need a lot of them to play at their maximum. It’s going to be a chance for a few players and it’s down to them to try to be the best they can be and come back with a positive result.”
The fact Croatia remain undefeated in Group A, with five wins and a draw so far, makes them firm favourites to record a sixth victory of the campaign against the Scots, but McCall insists his side won’t go there with damage limitation in mind.
He concluded: “We’ve just got to believe that the players we send out there can be the best they can be, and can be as difficult to play against as they can possibly be.
“If we do that and we come away with a draw, we would surprise a lot of people. We can’t have negative thoughts we’ve got to be as prepared as we can and have a plan which we’ve been working on.
“If Croatia are the best they can be it’s going to be a long night, obviously, but if we’re the best we can be in certain areas of the park, on top of our game and everyone’s playing for each other, then we’ve got a chance.
“There’s no point in going there if we can’t believe that.”
McCall added that the Scotland camp had taken little notice of reports that Croatian players had been spotted enjoying a boozy night out ahead of this week’s game, instead stressing that the Croats are likely to be as dangerous as ever.
“We can only focus on what we can do,” he stressed.
“I know Croatia have been talking a good game but up until now they’ve been playing a good game. They are second on goal difference and full of talented players, but we’ve got to be hopeful that they are a little bit under par.
“It would be nice if that was the case, that their eye is off the ball because it would obviously help us, but I can’t see that being the case.”