Scotland boss Craig Levein has pointed to a friendly with Faroe Islands last year that allowed a young talent to emerge as a quality player.
Aston Villa midfielder Barry Bannan showed his nation what he could be capable of in the future with a stellar performance in that fixture and has gone on to be a Scotland regular in recent times.
After six players withdrew yesterday for Friday's clash with Cyprus in Larnaca, Levein could be forced to hand international debuts to the likes of Jordan Rhodes, Ryan Stevenson, Gary MacKenzie and Craig Samson but is confident that these players can make a name for themselves for future Scotland reference.
"This time last year we got Bannan out of a friendly against the Faroes," said Levein.
"There have been other situations where we've discovered players.
"So guys like Jordan Rhodes and others will hopefully step up to the plate here.
"Just seeing the guys in training makes a big difference.
"It also lets me see the mentality and how they cope with stepping into playing with international players in training.
"Some of them get a little bit overawed by it, others take to it immediately.
"It's important to see what they are like around the group. It gives me an opportunity to meet them, get to know them.
"There's a bit more time than just a couple of days and playing a game."
