Scotland will be looking to pick up from where they left off in their last international campaign - which saw them top UEFA Nations League Group B. This clash will be viewed as a 'must win' in what is a competitive group consisting of Spain, a Norway side that features Premier League superstars, Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland and a Georgia side who have made huge strides of late - starring Napoli danger-man Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The nation of Scotland has been largely uninspired in decades gone by, however, Steve Clarke has managed to inject a sense of belief into the nation again, originally qualifying for Euro 2020 (the country's first qualification for a major tournament since 1998) followed by a first-place finish in their Nations League Group late last year.
Steve Clarke has been rewarded for his efforts since taking the hot seat at Hampden as the Scottish FA announced that the 59-year-old has signed a new deal which sees his contract extended to 2026.
Clarke will be eager for his side to seal all 3 points at home on Saturday, against the same side he faced in his managerial debut for the international team, and the Scotsman will hope his men can carry the good momentum into the huge task that awaits against Spain in the following match.
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Team News
Scotland
Club Brugge defender Jack Hendry was forced to exit the squad due to injury and he was replaced by Blackburn centre-back, Dominic Hyam.
Anthony Ralston of Celtic was another late addition to the squad, which could suggest that there are doubts around Nathan Patterson who also competes for the right-back spot.
Clarke's biggest dilemma comes with his decision of who to play between the sticks. Motherwell's Liam Kelly has featured in recent Scotland squads but has struggled to grab the number one spot, while Zander Clark is involved in the national set-up after his performances in Heart of Midlothian's starting line-up - where he has replaced Craig Gordon who has been side-lined due to a horrific leg break.
Angus Gunn looks the favourite to snatch the number one jersey, following in the footsteps of his father Bryan who also featured as a goalkeeper for the Scotland National Team. Angus will hope to make his debut in front of a packed-out Hampden after switching allegiances from England in recent months.
Lyndon Dykes joins the national set-up after a recent bout of pneumonia, but the Queens Park Rangers forward is likely to miss out to his strike partner, Che Adams.
Cyprus
Temur Ketsabia's men will be well aware of the challenge at hand as they aim to avoid finishing rock bottom of the group, with Georgia making a huge transformation in recent years.
Alex Gogic, who plays for Scottish side St Mirren, could potentially slot in at centre-back again after he featured there in Cyprus' last international fixture in a win against Israel.
The Cypriots have travelled to Glasgow without star striker Pieros Sotiriou.
Both Konstantinos Laifis who was part of the Standard Liege side who drew with Rangers in the Europa League three years ago and Loizos Loizou who previously featured in the Europe League under Neil Lennon are likely contenders to make the starting XI.
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Line-ups
Scotland
Gunn; Hickey, Hanley, Porteous, Tierney, Robertson, Ferguson, McGregor, McGinn, Christie, Adams
Cyprus
Panagi; Antoniou, Laifis, Roberge, Ioannou, Kyriakou, Kastanos, Artymatas, Loizou, Christofi, Tzionis
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Key Men
The Scotland target man comes into the international break after a goal in his last outing for Southampton versus Spurs. The attacker's goal helped his side grab a point against the top four hopefuls from London.
The 26-year-old will aim to bully the Cyprus defence with his imposing physical presence and his key hold-up play will be crucial in opening up gaps in between the Cypriot low block, which Ryan Christie and John McGinn will aim to drive into.
Adams has been a regular feature in the Scotland XI since he switched allegiances from England and it is looking ever likely that the attacker will lead the line and pip fellow striker Lyndon Dykes to the starting spot.
Cyprus
The 21-year-old seems to be a rough diamond in the Cyprus national team. The attacker made positive strides featuring for AC Omonia in his homeland and he was quickly snapped up by Sporting Kansas City who feature in the rapidly growing MLS in the United States of America.
The Cypriot youngster possesses a great deal of pace and a good dribbling ability which could cause Scotland some problems if they are caught napping on the counter.
Tzionis scored the winner the last time Cyprus were victorious against Greece in September 2022 and he will be eager to make his mark again in the absence of the usual target man, Pieros Sotiriou.
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Match Details
Where will the match be played?
Hampden Park, Glasgow - the home of the Scottish Men's National Team.
When will the match be played?
Saturday 25th March 2023, 14:00 GMT
Where can you view the match?
Viaplay Sports, formerly known as Premier Sports, with coverage beginning at 13:30.