Spanish head coach Alos has been forced to call up some of the eastern European nation’s under-21 players for the Group C match after visa issues prevented him from including several established senior players in his squad.
Belarus have been forced to play their home matches behind closed doors in Hungary because of the UEFA sanctions which were imposed in the wake of their government’s involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
They were thrashed 6-0 by section leaders Denmark in Zalaegerszeg on Thursday night – a defeat which left them with zero points and a negative goal difference of minus 12 after three outings.
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“Everybody knows what our situation is,” Alos said. “We couldn’t name a normal squad like any other national team. We have added some under-21 players, and I am happy with them. The squad is younger but that can be a positive.
“We have some experienced players who are important for us, but the young players can make a step forward and adding some young players is always important. They have some experience with under-21 games and club matches.
“We have to believe, not complain and not use excuses. I do not want to keep talking about visa problems, it’s not about how many players we could not pick, it was the fact we had to name the squad two months ago. That is not normal.”
The Belarus team (Image: PA)
He continued, “I couldn’t replace injured players at short notice, so I have brought three or four under-21 players. I’m a football coach, I am adapting to all situations.
“We are fighting. This is our reality. We have to play in Hungary, we have to name the squad earlier. I am not a lawyer, I don’t like to cry, I will get on with it. It will be 11 against 11 and we cannot use these issues as an excuse. We will play the game and at the end we will shake hands.”
Belarus bounced back from the 5-1 defeat they suffered at the hands of Greece last month with a vastly improvesd display against Scotland – they were only beaten 2-0 in Hungary.
Alos is optimistic his charges can give a better account of themselves against “Football always gives you a chance to make amends,” he said. “Two days ago we suffered a big defeat and now we have a chance to change the feeling.
“We know the level of the group now, these are tough matches, but it’s not an excuse. We can’t spend time crying. We are alive, we have to fight and compete and show our fans and the country that we can change our fortunes.”
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Belarus midfielder Valery Gromyko has recent experience of success against Scottish opposition – he helped Kairat Almaty knock Celtic out of the Champions League play-offs in August.
But he does not feel that match will have any bearing on the World Cup qualifier against Scotland this evening.
“Playing for your club and country is totally different,” Gromyko said. “You have much more time to prepare for your club whereas with the national team you have two or three days and then you are on the pitch.
“There were no Celtic players in the starting team on Thursday night, so it’s totally different teams. It’s hard to say if this will help.”
He added: “This is a country where football is truly loved. People live through football here and you can feel that in the atmosphere.”