Georgia v ScotlandStanding before Scotland in Georgia tonight will be a 17-year-old goalkeeping debutant who is third choice for his club, third choice for his country and one of three teenagers expected to start for Klaus Toppmoller's team here.
Encouraging news for Alex McLeish, but more fuel for the Tartan fatalists who fear Italy and France will deflate their amazing revival.
Georgi Makaridze of Dinamo Tbilisi is the boy charged with denying Scotland a seventh consecutive victory after Toppmoller banished the first-choice Georgi Lomaia from his squad for a dreadful display in the 2-0 defeat to Italy.
Makaridze has never appeared at international level and does not even feature for Dinamo, he performs for their feeder team Dinamo II.
Makaridze may be joined in the starting line-up by Levan Kenia, a midfielder who does not turn 17 until tomorrow, and the 17-year- old forward Levan Mchedlidze for a contest Toppmoller described as a "practice match".
Scotland have their own selection problems with Gary Naysmith struggling to overcome a hamstring strain sustained in the defeat of Ukraine that also cost the services of Scott Brown, Alan Hutton, Lee McCulloch and Garry O'Connor.
Qualification would be assured tonight if Scotland triumph and France fail to beat Lithuania.
Probable teams
GEORGIA:Makaridze; Salukvadze, Khizanishvili, Asatiani, Shashiashvili, Tskitishvili, Menteshashvili, Kankava, Kvirkvelia, Kenia, Demetradze
SCOTLAND:Gordon; Murty, Weir, McManus, Naysmith; Fletcher, Ferguson, Pearson, Dailly, McFadden; Miller.
