Scotland predicted XI to face Croatia: Steve Clarke makes big calls on Ben Doak and starting striker - gallery

Scotland go in search of an elusive victory when they welcome Croatia to Hampden in their penultimate Nations League Group A1 match on Friday.

Steve Clarke's side are in the midst of their longest-ever sequence of competitive games without a victory (8) but can take encouragement from their goalless draw at home to Portugal last month.

Scotland are currently bottom of Group A1 with one point from four matches but could still finish second - and secure pot one status for World Cup qualification - if they win both their remaining matches. Due to the head-to-head tiebreaker, Scotland would need two-goal wins over Croatia on Friday and Poland on Monday while Portugal would need to beat the Poles at home, and do the same to the Croats in Zagreb.

With plenty at stake, Clarke faces a big decision over his starting XI and whether to stick largely with the side that shut out Cristiano Ronaldo and co or make changes with injured players returning. The Scotland head coach admitted as much in his pre-match press conference when he revealed his team selection had been giving him “sleepless nights”.

One change will be enforced - Che Adams has withdrawn from the squad with a hamstring injury leaving Lawrence Shankland, Lyndon Dykes and Tommy Conway to vie for the starting striker position. Conway is the most in-form of the trio with five goals for Middlesbrough in the Championship this season, but has has yet to start a match for Scotland. With Scott McKenna and John McGinn also returning from injury, Clarke has dilemmas in both defence and midfield, and whether he sticks with teenager Ben Doak for the third match in a row.

Here is how The Scotsman predict Scotland will line up against Croatia on Friday, in a 4-2-3-1 formation, using live pictures from Thursday's pre-match training session at the City Stadium.