Scotland Under-21 coach Tony Docherty has borrowed senior squad stars Findlay Curtis and James Wilson ahead of his first game in charge next week, writes Andy Newport from La Manga.
Rangers ace Curtis and Hearts striker Wilson have spent this week in Spain getting to know new Hampden gaffer Sebastien Pocognoli ahead of Saturday’s Nations League opener with Slovenia. Since both players were not expected to start the clash in Ljubljana, it’s been decided it would be better if they got game time with Docherty’s youngsters.
Docherty’s first game in charge
The former Dundee boss will be in the dug-out for the first time when the Under-21s host Azerbaijan at Rugby Park. He was also in Spain this week as he met the nation’s new Belgian boss and to run his eye over a number of youngsters who could flit between the A side and his 21s group.
While Pocognoli and his team are set to fly to Slovenia on Friday, Docherty is now flying back to Scotland with Curtis and Wilson.
Plan going forward
Rather than have them sitting on the bench or in the stand not getting minutes, Record Sport understands that the plan going forward will be to allow the 21s manager to pinch the kids and them hand them back to Pocognoli’s squad.
SFA sources insist both Curtis and Wilson remain part of the senior squad and could yet play a part for the new boss during the upcoming raft of Nations League fixtures.
Upcoming fixtures
Scotland return to Glasgow to face Switzerland on Tuesday - 24 hours before the 21s take on the Azerbaijanis in their penultimate European Championship qualifier.
They then take on North Macedonia in Skopje on October 3 before returning to Hampden to face Slovenia again on October 6, when both the Ibrox and Tynecastle kids could feature.
