Celtic star has been dropped from Scotland’s squad ahead of the national team’s fixture against Switzerland after words exchange during last training under new head coach Sébastien Pocognoli.
The young star had been included in Pocognoli’s first Scotland squad after making significant progress at club level. His call-up was seen as an important step in his development and an opportunity to establish himself within the senior national team.
However, his situation has changed during the current international camp, with the player now absent from the group selected for Scotland’s upcoming match against Switzerland.
The player at the centre of the situation is Celtic defender Colby Donovan, who received his first senior Scotland call-up after impressing for his club.
Donovan has been one of the emerging players at Celtic and has increasingly been trusted with first-team responsibilities. His performances eventually caught the attention of Pocognoli, who rewarded him with a place in his first Scotland squad.
The 20-year-old’s inclusion was particularly significant because Pocognoli is beginning a new era with the national team and has shown a willingness to look at younger players.
Donovan’s international opportunity, however, has now been overshadowed by the circumstances surrounding his latest omission.
According to claims circulating around the Scotland camp, Donovan was involved in a verbal exchange with Pocognoli during a training session.
The alleged disagreement has attracted attention because Pocognoli is only beginning his tenure as Scotland manager, meaning that relationships between the new head coach and his players are still being established.
The nature of the exchange has not been officially disclosed, and the Scottish FA has not publicly confirmed that Donovan was punished for a confrontation with the manager.
What is clear is that Donovan has not been included in Scotland’s matchday plans after initially being selected for the senior squad.
His absence has therefore raised questions over whether the situation could affect his relationship with the new Scotland manager going forward.
Donovan’s rise at Celtic has been rapid. The defender came through the club’s academy before making his senior breakthrough and becoming increasingly involved with the first team. His opportunities increased further following injuries in Celtic’s defensive positions.
The youngster was able to take advantage of those opportunities and establish himself as a serious option for the Scottish champions.
That progress eventually earned him recognition from the national team.
Pocognoli selected Donovan as part of his first Scotland squad, giving the Celtic player an opportunity to work with the senior national team for the first time.
The manager has previously spoken positively about Donovan’s development while also making it clear that the youngster still has areas of his game that need improvement.
For a young player entering international football, adapting to a new manager’s expectations can be challenging.
The latest situation has therefore placed additional attention on how Donovan responds.
Rather than focusing solely on the alleged training-ground exchange, the bigger question now concerns what happens next between the Celtic defender and Pocognoli.
If Donovan remains in contention for future Scotland squads, he will have to continue producing strong performances at Celtic while demonstrating that he can meet the expectations of the national-team manager.
For Celtic, the situation will also be closely watched because Donovan has become an increasingly important option within the squad.
The club will want the youngster to remain focused on his performances and continue his development after making such a promising start to his senior career.
Scotland, meanwhile, are entering a new period under Pocognoli, who has already begun making decisions about the players he wants to build his team around.
Donovan’s omission is therefore significant, particularly because he was among the players personally selected by the new manager for his first squad.
The reported disagreement has added another layer to the story, although the details surrounding the incident remain unclear.
There has been no official statement confirming that Donovan was banned because of the alleged exchange, and it would therefore be premature to describe his international career as being over.
What remains certain is that the Celtic youngster has gone from receiving his first senior Scotland call-up to being left out of the matchday group during the same international window.
That development will now put the spotlight on his next steps. Donovan will return to Celtic with an opportunity to put the controversy behind him and continue building on the form that earned him his Scotland opportunity in the first place.
For Pocognoli, the incident — if the reports are eventually confirmed — could also provide an early test of how he manages discipline and relationships within his new Scotland squad. For now, the exact reason behind Donovan’s omission has not been officially explained.
But with the young Celtic defender no longer involved in Scotland’s immediate matchday plans, attention will remain on whether he can earn his way back into Pocognoli’s squad in the next international window.
