Some of the newer faces in the squad stepping up and making an impact could inject some life into Scotland’s form this year.

Clarke has made the decision not to call up many players from the under-21s squad given the junior side are going well in their own European qualification campaign and have crucial games against Belgium and Kazakhstan to play during this international window.

It means in-form Scottish Premiership midfielders Lennon Miller and Connor Barron, or Sturm Graz right-back Max Johnston, are missing, which could have generated some excitement.

Even with lots of players out, the squad has a familiar feel to it and it falls to teenage Middlesbrough winger Ben Doak and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Gauld, who both made their debuts as substitutes last month, to bring some freshness.

Doak has made five appearances in the Championship since the last international break, when the 18-year-old helped set up a goal against Poland and scored his first goal on loan to Boro from Liverpool against Stoke City.

His pace and dribbling ability offers something completely different, particularly with the recent switch to a back four.

Gauld has been nursing an injury in recent weeks, but the 28-year-old looked bright when coming on against Poland, creating two chances.

Then there is Andy Irving, the West Ham United midfielder taking part in his first camp. His story in itself is positive, having left Heart of Midlothian before ending up in the Premier League via the lower leagues in Austria and Germany.

“It’s been a mad journey to be honest,” the 24-year-old told the Scotland national side’s media channels this week.

“In Austria, I played more as an attacking midfielder and number 10 – when I was in Scotland, I was a bit more defensive. I’ve added different things to my game.”

Nobbs joined Villa in 2023 after 12 years with Arsenal and she has scored 58 goals across her 193 WSL appearances.

She won 12 trophies at Arsenal, including three WSL titles, but had to overcome a number of serious injuries, which heavily affected her international career.

“Those times, when you look back now, appear to have just flown by, but when you’re actually in the moment it was one thing after each other,” said Nobbs.

A major setback for Nobbs came in November 2018.

“After I did my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), I couldn’t really catch a break and it was just the love of playing and believing that if I worked hard, eventually I could get back on the pitch,” she said.

“I just had to keep thinking there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Football is good and bad. You have amazing days and then you have bad days too.

“I think it’s just about trying to enjoy it as much as you can. I’ve always played football because I love it. I’ve probably learned to just keep fighting.”

Villa boss Robert de Pauw described Nobbs as a “little Luka Modric in midfield”, something she joked she would write down and keep forever.

She has long been considered one of England’s brightest talents, catching the eye at WSL level after signing for Arsenal from Sunderland in 2010.

Nobbs was named the England Player of the Year in 2016 and the FA Players’ Player of the Year in 2017 – but a lot has changed throughout her WSL career.

“It’s probably just the level of support. Backroom staff, for example, that maybe you don’t see or hear as much about,” Nobbs said.

“When we first started, we were still doing a lot on our own as players. Now, especially for the younger ones coming up, there’s just so much they can learn and soak up on how to be the best footballer.”

At the 2018 finals in Russia, Zlatko Dalic led a nation with a smaller population than that of Scotland to the zenith of international football when they contested the World Cup final. They would come up short against France on the day.

Croatia reaching that showpiece was a surprise, but Modric is the very embodiment of upsetting the odds.

He and his family had to flee their home near the Dalmatian city of Zadar due to the Croatian War of Independence that provided the backdrop to his childhood.

As a Dinamo Zagreb graduate, 20 years ago, he was sent on loan to Bosnian club Zrinjski Mostar. For a young Croatian, that will have been an eye-opener.

In the ensuing two decades, Modric has won six Champions League titles, five Super Cups, four Spanish titles and five Club World Cups alongside the 180 caps he has proudly amassed in Croatia’s red and white checks.

Yet, when he made big-money moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid, where he has won anything and everything, he was written off by many. He is currently enjoying his 13th season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“I’m still here, motivated as before,” Modric said last month. “I am most proud to play for Croatia. I think I can still help.”

He was right as he followed up that statement with a complete masterclass against Poland on matchday two in Osijek in which he scored the only goal of the game with a superbly executed free-kick.

Scotland actually have a winning record against the Croats and are unbeaten on their two previous visits to Zagreb.

However, their two victories during the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, including an unexpected triumph in the Croatian capital, came after the qualification horse had long since bolted.

More recently, the Scots were on the receiving end of Modric wizardry in what was their must-win final group match of Euro 2020. Croatia eased to a 3-1 victory at Hampden Park, with the veteran scoring the second, and the game exposed a big gap between the teams.

To remain in contention in the current Nations League section and maintain hopes of a place in pot one or two for next year’s World Cup qualifiers, this is a game Scotland will probably have to win.

The trouble is that Croatia do not lose at home very often. That Scotland victory 11 years ago is one of only seven competitive defeats suffered on their own soil since Croatia entered the Fifa rankings in 1994.

Like Scotland, they had a disappointing European Championship in Germany, exiting at the group stage after conceding late goals against Albania and Italy in a tough group. Eventual winners Spain topped the section.

However, that anti-climax does not detract from the fact this will be a very tough assignment.

Arsenal want Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Milos Kerkez, Eddie Howe will not leave Newcastle for England, and Kobbie Mainoo set to sign new Manchester United contract.

Arsenal are planning to make bids for Bournemouth and Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez, 20, and Cherries winger Antoine Semenyo, 24, who is a Ghana international. (CaughtOffside), external

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, 46, has no desire to leave the club despite being on a shortlist for the vacant England manager’s job. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 19, is close to agreeing a new contract at Manchester United. (Manchester Evening News), external

Barcelona and Real Madrid are both interested in a move for Spanish left-back Alvaro Fernandez, 21, who Manchester United sold to Benfica last summer. (Mirror), external

Manchester United and Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen, 32, is expected to re-join his former club Ajax when his contract expires next summer. (Sun), external

Former Liverpool and Cameroon defender Joel Matip, 33, is considering retirement. (Ruhr Nachrichten S04 on X – in German), external

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is the dream long-term candidate for the Football Association, who have not interviewed anyone for the England job more than two months after the closing date for applications. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Everton have set their sights on signing Stuttgart and DR Congo winger Silas Mvumpa, 26, in January. (Football Insider), external

Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, 51, is in talks with a “major club” about a return to management after turning down further talks about managing Denmark. (Tipsbladet – in Danish), external

Liverpool have earmarked Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis, 18, as a possible signing for the future. The Brazil youth international has a release clause of £84m. (Football Insider), external

River Plate want to extend Manchester City forward Claudio Echeverri’s loan spell. Argentina-born Echeverri, 18, signed for City in January 2024 with an agreement he would remain at River Plate before moving to England in January 2025. (TYC Sports – in Spanish), external

After securing the title with a thumping win over their nearest rivals on the pitch, Cliftonville lifted the trophy at the home of their neighbours.

Crusaders gave a guard of honour as Kelsie Burrows led Cliftonville out at Seaview, and, despite the celebrations that followed the win over Glentoran, they did not look like a team with a hangover on the pitch.

They dominated the majority of possession in the early stages, and Marissa Callaghan clipped the top of the crossbar with a long-range effort.

The Northern Ireland midfielder then hammered the crossbar with a header from Toni-Leigh Finnegan’s cross.

The pressure continued to build as Fi Morgan, Caitlin McGuinness and Carla Devine all saw chances slip away.

Callaghan was denied the opener by the offside flag as she chipped the ball into the bottom corner, and Devine fired over late in the half as the teams went in level.

After Callaghan poked an effort wide after the restart, the deserved winner came in the 52nd minute when Maxwell’s cross drifted into the bottom corner to give the visitors a lead they would not relinquish.

Finnegan fired over as the Reds looked for a second, and substitute Kirsty McGuinness saw an effort parried away by Harvey-Clifford.

The Crues had a huge chance to level the game with 20 minutes to play when Rebecca Mann raced through on goal but the substitute hooked her effort wide.

McGuinness forced Harvey-Clifford into a superb diving save, and further chances fell to Caitlin McGuinness, who hit over from Katie Markey’s cross, and Maxwell, who fired narrowly wide.

The game fizzled out in the closing stages, with the Reds perhaps having one eye on Saturday’s cup final but when the final whistle blew, the Cliftonville bench ran onto the pitch to celebrate with their team-mates.

Interim boss Lee Carsley will not change his attacking approach when England face Finland on Sunday despite the surprise defeat by Greece that dented his chances of landing the role permanently.

England had enjoyed an encouraging start to their Nations League campaign under Carsley, with wins over the Republic of Ireland and Finland before Thursday’s setback at Wembley.

Carsley’s experiment in fielding five attackers without an out-and-out striker backfired as Greece ran out 2-1 winners.

England will look to bounce back in Helsinki this weekend and Carsley insisted “nothing changes” in terms of his attacking approach.

“The way I want my teams to play, I want us to attack and when we had the players we have available, I wanted to try something different,” said Carsley, who has been put in temporary charge until November while the Football Association seeks a permanent successor following Gareth Southgate’s departure.

“Hindsight is perfect because it never happened.

“It wouldn’t stop me trying something different in the future because I have done OK being like this.

“I had 17, 18, 19 years as a player being defensive and just sitting in there and playing on the counter-attack.

“That is definitely not how I want to coach. Nothing changes in that respect.”