Scotland team: Caldwell to lead team out for first time in Slovenia

GARY Caldwell will captain Scotland for the first time in tomorrow’s friendly against Slovenia, as manager Craig Levein also handed starts to Charlie Mulgrew, Richard Foster and Craig Mackail-Smith.

The Wigan defender has been named captain in the absence of Darren Fletcher after Levein decided to rest Kenny Miller from the start.

Celtic defender Mulgrew will win his first cap while Bristol City full-back Foster was added to the squad after Alan Hutton became the fourth player to pull out.

Caldwell will win his 47th cap in the international in Koper.

“I’ve never started the game as captain,” he said. “Obviously Fletch is the captain and Kenny is the vice-captain so it is an honour to get it, but they are obviously the men in possession and I am 100 per cent behind them.

“But to get it for one night will be special.”

Levein revealed the versatile Mulgrew would play at full-back.

“Charlie will play left-back,” Levein said at Glasgow Airport. “He would have been in the squad in November in Cyprus but he was injured. He was gutted that he couldn’t make it.

“He is playing out his skin, he has improved enormously.”

Miller will not start after Cardiff manager Malky Mackay asked Levein to use the 32-year-old sparingly following their Carling Cup final shootout defeat by Liverpool.

“Kenny will be on the bench but the manager has named a team that will be very, very competitive from the first whistle,” coach Kenny Black said.

“There will be an opportunity for lads to maybe get part of the game.

“Kenny is desperate to play but you saw the game on Sunday, the cup final, and we just felt it would be better having Kenny as back-up.

“Craig Mackail-Smith will play up front.”

Levein has not publicly revealed his full team but Wigan’s James McArthur will start after being called into the squad on Sunday.

Full-back Foster, 26, came in after Aston Villa’s Hutton succumbed to a hamstring injury.

Celtic midfielder Scott Brown (groin), Blackpool winger Matt Phillips(hamstring) and Sunderland full-back Phil Bardsley (calf) had withdrawn previously.