Steven Fletcher gets in behind the home defence to meet a deep ball from Robert Snodgrass but the Scotland striker makes a horrible mess of his header near the penalty spot, nodding well wide of the target.

A good, positive run from right-back Callum Paterson, driving forward to slip a pass to Matt Ritchie. The Newcastle man fires in a low cross but it's snuffed out before striker Steven Fletcher can get there in the penalty box.

The home side are seeing most of the ball but Scotland are keeping their shape well and Darren Fletcher is staying very close to danger man Marek Hamsik.

Callum Paterson is caught by a late challenge from Adam Nemec. We don't want the Hearts man getting injured since there isn't another right-back in the squad.

Rob Maclean
BBC Scotland

4-1-4-1 formation for Scotland. The two Fletchers are the ones, if you know what I mean.  

A sore one for James McArthur early on amid some midfield hurly-burly as Scotland send a free-kick deep into enemy territory but it's repelled with ease by the home side.

Rob Maclean
BBC Scotland

I felt quietly confident about the Lithuania game. My mood has darkened ahead of this one. If Scotland don't win, can we possibly qualify from a position of 4 or 5 points from the first three matches? I can't see it.

Let's hope it doesn't come to that. But the performance in Slovakia needs to be a whole lot livelier and more inventive than it was at Hampden three nights ago. It was must-win then and it's become must-win now.

And we're off. Hold on to your tartan bunnets, this could be a bumpy ride.

Scotland Under-21s' unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the European Championship ends with defeat in Macedonia, Kire Markoski and Enis Bardhi netting for the hosts.

Image source, SNS

Rob Maclean
BBC Scotland

Doesn't sound like injury has anything to do with Saturday's man of the match Andy Robertson being left out tonight. Seems the defensive qualities of Kieran Tierney have given him the nod. And it would have been useful to have the power and pace of Oliver Burke available on the bench tonight for later on. His lack of experience has gone against him, says Gordon Strachan.

National anthems time... The Tartan Army are in good voice, as ever.

Richard Wilson
BBC Scotland in Trnava

It's a cold, crisp night in Trnava, but the away fans are in good voice inside the City Arena Stadium. Scotland assistant manager Mark McGhee was locked in conversation with a Uefa official as the players left the field after their warm-up, and seemed to be gesturing towards areas of the pitch.

There is no room for doubts now, though, as the national team approach a critical moment. There are points at stake but also Gordon Strachan's hold on the job of Scotland manager. He needs his team to deliver a convincing display, and many of the players owe him a performance given how much he has supported and shielded them in times of unrest.

The Fletchers - Steven and Darren - will be vital, but Strachan needs a performance of unity and controlled intensity throughout his side. It feels like an unpredictable game, but Scotland need to take advantage of that, and the disarray that has been following Slovakia since the Euro finals in France.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Scotland boss Gordon Strachan explains his decision not to include Oliver Burke in the match-day squad.

"It's an occasion for experience," he says. "We've got enough excitement and pace in [substitutes] Kech [Anya] and [James] Forrest."

Image source, SNS

Let's hope we get a big tick for that last entry to make it a great night for Alex - and the rest of us...

Darren Fletcher is fit enough to captain Scotland in Slovakia tonight and his counterpart, Martin Skrtel, is sporting a Phantom of the Opera-style mask to protect his recently broken nose.

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

I have to confess to being something of a worrier. Following Scotland will do that to you. 

Gordon Strachan calls it a "crazy gang group" and if the teams keep taking points off each other then there's a danger of the runners-up missing out on a play-off. 

There are nine European sections and eight teams finishing second will do battle over two legs to decide the final four spots at Russia 2018.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself there since Scotland were fourth in the Euro 2016 campaign and fourth in the last World Cup effort.

Scotland manager Gordon Strachan talking to the media yesterday:

"I think most of us expect, the footballing world, that England would win it. But as I said it's a crazy gang here in this group we have got so you never know.

"Second, yes. We will definitely go and try and get second at least and if we end up getting first then great. But second is our target as we sit here. I don't think it has changed in the last two games. I think if you said to us, realistically, then second is a target for us." 

"I think he wants out."

Chris Sutton's verdict on Gordon Strachan.

And what's that based on?

"He has been rude, he's been cantankerous," added the former Celtic striker when talking to BBC 5 live.

All that tells me is Sutton hasn't been paying much attention to Strachan's handling of media conferences over the years. He is always rude and cantankerous! He hates doing them.

"It's a battlefield," Strachan told BBC Scotland last week when quizzed about his often prickly, often obtuse public demeanour. "You don't need the respect of fans or journalists but you need it from the players. It's about protecting them," he explained.

We'll hear from Richard Wilson in Slovakia as the game progresses.

There's a lot of cones out there. Very technical warm-up...

I think Derek may be disappointed to see Andy Robertson on the bench tonight...

Did you not fancy the Hull left-back in goals?