Scotland v Belgium
Friday, 7 September
7.45pm kick off
Hampden Park, Glasgow

Scotland take on Belgium at Hampden Park on Friday in their first home match since March, with Alex McLeish and his squad looking for a first victory in front of their home supporters in 2018.

The visitors arrive in Glasgow for their first game since their impressive FIFA World Cup campaign in Russia this summer, which saw Roberto Martinez lead his side to a third-place finish.

Since then, there has been a change of leadership within the Scotland squad, with Liverpool full-back Andrew Robertson having been named as captain by McLeish prior to the visit of the Belgians.

The squad itself is an inexperienced yet exciting mix of players, with Hearts defender John Souttar the only uncapped player in the playing group.

A number of players who impressed on the summer tour to Peru and Mexico, including Johnny Russell and Stephen O’Donnell, retain their places, whilst there is also a return for established squad members such as Celtic trio Craig Gordon, Kieran Tierney and James Forrest.

Belgium are able to call upon the services of some of the world’s top players as they prepare for their trip to Hampden, with a defence including Vincent Kompany and Toby Alderweireld providing the backbone for attacking stars in the form of Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku to threaten from anywhere.

Previous Scotland v Belgium Meetings

Scotland and Belgium are familiar foes, with tonight marking the 17th meeting between the two sides.

Of their previous meetings, Scotland have won four, drawn two and lost 10.

The two sides last met in qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with Belgium winning both meetings in that campaign by a score of 2-0.

Scotland have not scored against the men in red since March 2001. A brace from Billy Dodds put Scotland 2-0 up with the game ending 2-2 in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park.

Team News

Scotland manager Alex McLeish has been forced to deal with a number of injury setbacks prior to Friday night’s encounter, with Jack Hendry, Tom Cairney, Oli McBurnie and Matt Phillips all having to withdraw from the squad.

In their place, Ryan Jack, Robert Snodgrass and Steven Naismith have been called into the squad training at Oriam this week.

His Belgian counterpart Roberto Martinez has also been left dealing with injuries to his squad members, with Simon Mignolet, Christian Benteke and Marouane Fellaini pulling out ahead of Friday’s match.

Pre-match thoughts

Scotland captain Andrew Robertson: “It’s a huge honour – one of the biggest you can get as a footballer. When the gaffer told me, I was just delighted. It was a big moment for me and my family, and I’m just looking forward to leading the boys out.

“It’s about getting the right mix for me – being able to lead by example on the pitch, but also being able to be the middleman between us as the players and the coaches off it.

“We’ve got a really honest bunch of lads here, all desperate to pull on that Scotland shirt. When you run out in front of the Tartan Army, there is no better feeling.

“It’s a chance for people to impress and it gives lads a chance to play against some of the best players in the world.”

 

Scotland midfielder Kevin McDonald: "We're going out here to try and play. We're going to be positive and go and get a good shot against them. We're not going to be here just to make up the numbers.

"The manager's brought up a good few new players and it's all about bonding quickly and we can show we're ready. Friday night will be a time to test things out, I think."

Tickets

Tickets for the match are still available through public sale and can be purchased online or over the phone at 0844 875 1873 before midnight on Thursday.

Supporters will also be able to buy tickets on the day of the match – subject to availability – from the ticket sales cabins at the corner of the West and William Hill South Stands.

Those looking to collect tickets on matchday can do so from 2pm at the Ticket Collection booths in the West Stand. Supporters are advised to collect their tickets as early as possible in order to avoid queues.

Travel Information

The Scottish FA is working with Citylink to run three dedicated bus services on matchday. These services will run from Aberdeen, Fife and Edinburgh to and from Hampden, with pick-up and drop-off points along the way.

For more information, and to reserve your place, click here.

 

Further matchday travel information can be found here.

Where to watch

The match will be broadcast live on TV by Sky Sports.

Regular updates will also be provided on the Scotland national team Twitter account (@ScotlandNT).