Key events
Japan striker Daizen Maeda is no stranger to Hampden Park, thanks to his day job at Celtic, and he leads the line today. Leeds midfielder Ao Tanaka also starts for the visitors, while Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton and Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada are on the bench. The Samurai Blue’s list of long-term injured includes captain Waturu Endo of Liverpool, Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo, and Monaco forward Takumi Minamino.
Scotland make five changes to the team sent out to beat Denmark last November. Angus Gunn, Nathan Patterson, Jack Hendry, Tommy Conway and halfway-line hero Kenny McLean take the places of John Souttar and Ryan Christie, who are on the bench, and the missing Craig Gordon, Aaron Hickey and Ben Gannon-Doak. Middlesbrough forward Conway returns to the team after missing the entire qualification campaign. The promising 19-year-old striker Findlay Curtis, on loan at Kilmarnock from Rangers, hopes to make his debut.
The teams
Scotland: Gunn, Patterson, Robertson, McTominay, McGinn, Dykes, Hendry, Ferguson, Conway, McLean, McKenna.
Subs: Kelly, Bain, Hanley, Tierney, Gilmour, Adams, Christie, Miller, Souttar, McCrorie, Hyam, Hirst, Ralston, Irving, Curtis.
Japan: Zion Suzuki, Seko, Watanabe, Hiroki Ito, Sugawara, Fujita, Tanaka, Maeda, Yuito Suzuki, Kodai Sano, Goto.
Subs: Hayakawa, Osako, Taniguchi, Hashioka, Junnosuke Suzuki, Kaishu Sano, Junya Ito, Doan, Mitoma, Kamada, Nakamura, Ueda, Ogawa, Shiogai, Machino.
Preamble
Four months ago, this happened …
… and now Scotland are coming down the road. A 28-year World Cup thirst will be slaked in three months’ time, and the prep starts now. Kick-off is at 5pm GMT. It’s on!
