Richard Winton
BBC Sport at Hampden Park

Remember this jersey? The 1990 away kit. A bold look...

Image source, BBC Sport

The Scotland formation is not the only mystery ahead of kick-off. Albania's shape is also up for debate.

Christian Panucci played a 4-2-3-1 formation in Friday's 1-0 win over Israel.

But, having made three personnel changes, it appears that the Albania coach might adopt a different style from his side's 1-0 win over Israel.

Indeed, the team lines handed out at Hampden suggest a 4-4-2.

"This is a completely different game," he said. "We will have different tactics, but we won't be playing the long ball.

"If we make the same mistakes as we did against Israel, Scotland will punish us dearly."

Our man Richard Winton and the Albania supporters are enjoying what looks like a private audience with a pipe band at a soggy Hampden.

Image source, Richard Winton/BBC

Albanian journalist Pano Xhixho thinks his countrymen will be happy to leave Hampden with a draw, despite arriving on a high after beating Israel.

"We did not expect to beat Israel because all the friendly games this year have been awful," he told BBC Scotland.

"We have an Italian coach, he was a defender, but the defending has not been great.

"We were lucky against Israel because we didn't play well in the first half.

"After the victory over Israel, Christian Panucci will say he has come for a win in Scotland, but I think Albania will play for a draw.

"Because the group has three teams and it will be very important to take points abroad as we will hope to have two victories in Albania."

Image source, SNS

Former Celtic, St Johnstone and Albania full-back Rudi Vata thinks this is a game his countrymen are capable of winning.

"It is going to be a difficult game for Albania, but they think there is the possibility to get the three points as well," the 49-year-old told BBC Radio Scotland.

"It is going to be tight. It will be won by the team who are better organised and who are more hungry and determined.

"Albania have a lot of players with experience of different European leagues, but their main strength is they play as a team. They don't have big stars or fantastic players who can change a game.

"They are very well organised and have a fantastic team spirit, as they showed at Euro 2016, but it isn't the same team as then.

"One or two of the older players have left the national team and there is a bit of a transition at the moment. This competition is going to give some experience to the younger boys coming into the team."

Image source, SNS

Alex McLeish has urged to be judged on Scotland's competitive fixtures, which is just as well.

Since he began his second spell as national boss, his side have lost four games and won one - 1-0 away to Hungary in March, since when they have lost three in a row.

Matt Phillips' winner in Budapest is the only goal the Scots have scored in six games since Gordon Strachan stood down as head coach after his side drew 2-2 in Slovenia in October as they failed to qualify for the World Cup finals.

They have failed to score in the other five games - all defeats.

Image source, SNS

There's been plenty written and broadcast about what the Nations League is all about, so I will just direct you to the video below and the link here.

Perhaps the simplest way to look at tonight's visit of Albania is to take heed of Alex McLeish's suggestion that it is "a must-win" for his Scotland side if they are to take this route to the Euro 2020 finals.

Richard Winton
BBC Scotland at Hampden Park

There’s a nosy pocket of Albania fans already making an unholy racket. At least they’re drowning out Status Quo over the tannoy...

Image source, SNS

We think this might be Scotland's formation...

Six Serie A players feature in the Albania team - Thomas Strakosha, Elseid Hysaj, Freddie Veseli, Berat Djimsiti, Ledian Memushaj and Emanuele Ndoj and two Russian-based players - Enis Gavazaj and Bekim Balaj.

Taulant Xhaka, the brother of Switzerland and Arsenal midfielder Granit, also starts for Christian Panucci's side after scoring with winner in Friday's opening Nations League match against Israel.

There are three changes following that match with Sabien Lilaj and Ndoj replace Migjen Basha and Jahmir Hyka in midfield, with Balaj starting up front instead of Sindrit Guri, who he replaced against Israel at half-time.

Albania: Strakosha, Hysaj, Veseli, Djimsiti, Binaku, Lilaj, Xhaka, Memushaj, Ndoj, Gavazaj, Balaj.

Image source, Getty Images

Albanian footballers aren't particularly well known in Scotland and Christian Panucci has been denied the most high-profile member of his squad through injury.

Winger Eros Grezda has been tipped to eventually command a transfer fee much greater than the £2m Rangers paid Osijek for his services, but he has not yet recovered from the injury that prevented him facing his new employers in this season's Europa League qualifying.

Experienced Akhmat Grozny midfielder Odise Roshi and talismanic Levante striker Armando Sadiku are also missing.

Image source, SNS

However, there's still a smattering of players from top leagues like Serie A in the side.

Right-back Elseid Hysaj is with Napoli and goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha with Lazio, while Taulent Xhaka will be remembered for making history at the Euro 2016 finals.

The Swiss-born Basel midfielder was in opposition to brother Granit, the Arsenal player who turns out for Switzerland.

He was also the key man on Friday, scoring Albania's second-half winner against Israel.

Christian Panucci signalled the end to Alex McLeish's first spell as Scotland boss - and the 45-year-old former Roma full-back is aiming to usher in another crisis for the man 14 years his elder.

Panucci's stoppage-time header from a dubiously awarded free-kick gave Italy a 2-1 victory - "probably the best night of my career" - that ensured it was his side rather than McLeish's Scots who headed to the Euro 2008 finals.

"It is hard to say if Scotland have moved forward or back since that night I played," Albania's coach admitted while suggesting that McLeish's side will be "low in confidence" after Friday's 4-0 home defeat by Belgium.

"But it is never easy to play Scotland, especially with them hurting after this defeat. They have good quality."

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

It's not just Scotland who are in Nations League action tonight.

You can follow all the scores on our live results page.

Christian Panucci has not had it easy as Albania coach since succeeding Gianni de Biasi after his fellow Italian took the Eagles to the Euro 2016 finals.

Friday's 1-0 win over Israel means they are in pole position at the top of League C's Group 1 in the Nations League, but it was only their second win in eight outings.

It ended a run of three home defeats since an impressive 3-2 win away to Turkey in November.

The nadir was reached with a 3-0 loss to visiting Kosovo - who have only been members of Fifa for two years - in May and they were also swept aside by Ukraine in their following home match.

Indeed, the victory over Israel came despite the visitors having more strikes on goal - and more on target.

Image source, SNS

How to squeeze two world-class left-backs into your team has been described by Scotland head coach Alex McLeish as "a conundrum".

Predecessor Gordon Strachan tried Kieran Tierney on the right, while McLeish had the Celtic 21-year-old on the left of a three-man central defence against Belgium with new captain Andy Robertson at left wing-back.

"Maybe I could move Andy to left wing in the future and get Kieran in at left-back, who knows?" the head coach said yesterday.

Image source, SNS

When asked where he would prefer to play, Tierney said "everybody knows what position I play".

Asked if he would prefer right-back or centre-half, he added: "It is two positions I've played a handful of times.

"At left centre-back, you might be on your left foot a bit more, but at right back you're also a full-back, which is your normal position.

"The manager is trusting me in another position, which is great for me - a young boy at centre-back.

"I've played there a few times with Celtic as well, so I'm familiar with it to an extent and I'm enjoying learning a new position."

Both are in the team tonight, but in which positions?

Who would be in your Scotland starting line-up?

Here's my selection from earlier this afternoon. Not quite the same as Alex McLeish's.

Let's see yours.

Willie Miller
Former Scotland defender on BBC Sportsound

I think it looks pretty cautious if it is a five.

Maybe Robertson might push up and be a winger, but he’s not a winger, is he? His starting position for me is always at the back going forward. That’s where he is most effective.

Stephen O’Donnell on the right-hand side has come right out of the blue for us. Callum Paterson is there and you’d have thought, if you wanted someone to go forward that could be a defender as well, you have Callum Paterson.

Stephen O'Donnell, the Kilmarnock right-back who made his debut this summer in Mexico, is perhaps a surprise starter as Alex McLeish makes four changes from Friday's defeat by Belgium.

Steven Naismith, who has started the season well with Hearts on loan from Norwich City, is preferred to Leigh Griffiths up front, the Celtic striker who picked up an injury against Belgium.

Sporting Kansas City forward Johnny Russell also comes into the side, with Bournemouth's Ryan Fraser and Southampton's Stuart Armstrong also dropping out. Fraser apparently has also picked up a knock.

As expected, Rangers' Allan McGregor takes over from Celtic's Craig Gordon in goal.

We don't yet whether McLeish will stick with three at the back or move to a four. Indeed, there is a lot of uncertainty about the formation. Interesting stuff...

Image source, SNS