WHEN you announce a squad that is big enough to include a starting 15 and two full sets of substitutes, the ideal is to have a lot of strength in depth. Particularly when the squad in question is for three internationals, you want to know there is room there for variety, innovation and perhaps even experimentation.

The squad of 31 which Vern Cotter named yesterday for Scotland’s three Autumn Tests, by contrast, is conspicuously lacking in certain departments. Not so much because of any innate deficiency in those players chosen by the national coach, more because one key player - WP Nel - is absent - while several others have still to make their returns from recent injuries.

The loss of Nel is exacerbated by the fact that the tighthead’s Edinburgh team-mate from the other side of the front row, Rory Sutherland, is also out because of injury. A third Edinburgh man, Alasdair Dickinson, is included, but he has also been out through injury so may not be fully ready for next month’s outings against Australia, Argentina and Georgia.

Fortunately, the rest of the pack has a stronger look to it. The usual three hookers are all available, the Gray brothers, Tim Swinson and Grant Gilchrist are the second-row quartet, and the six back-row selections offer any number of variations.

Behind the scrum, however, there are some threadbare patches. If Finn Russell happens to get injured, the only other stand-off named is Peter Horne - who has been sidelined for weeks with hand damage. The back-up to Horne is Stuart Hogg, who clearly has the insight to play 10, but who is listed as the only full-back. If he had to move forward, Sean Maitland or Tommy Seymour might take over at 15, only Seymour has also been out because of a back problem.

It could be all right on the night, of course, and you would rather have such problems now rather than in the build-up to the Six Nations Championship. Yet even so, Cotter knows he does not have a lot of room for manoeuvre.

“We don’t have great numbers in certain positions: that’s the reality, and we’ll deal with it as best we can,” the Scotland coach said yesterday. “At the moment we’re looking forward to Peter Horne coming back and performing. We know he can start and play at 10.

“Jacko [Ruaridh Jackson] hasn’t had consistent game time at 10 and we feel with Peter being involved with Glasgow and with the other players around him it may be an easier option. It doesn’t mean other players won’t get dragged in later on either.”

“Stuart can play 10. Sean Maitland, who seems to be playing reasonably well, can play full-back. So can Tommy Seymour, so there could be options in that backline and we could surprise a few people.”

Scotland certainly surprised Australia the last time the two countries met, at last year’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final when Cotter’s team were unfortunate to lose by a point after playing some inspired rugby. The Wallabies are likely to learn from that experience and not be caught napping again when they come to BT Murrayfield on 12 November, but Cotter believes that his own team, too, can build on the lessons of that memorable match - namely, by ensuring they do not give their opponents too much respect.

“I think we've got to move away from feeling threatened by teams like Australia,” he continued. “If we play well we can beat them. If we respect the fundamentals of the game, if we're physical with them, direct, maintain composure and have a clear plan we can beat them. That's what we’re focusing on at the moment: preparing as well as possible.

“There will be moments when we have to adapt, but there's some core principles we want to respect against Australia, then following that against Argentina. It will create momentum.

“It's exciting to play Australia. We haven't since that World Cup quarter-final. A bit of emotion, I'd imagine, for the players regarding how that game finished. But we will be focusing on ourselves, performing as well as possible, and then kick on to Argentina.”

After the Pumas game at the national stadium on 19 November, Scotland complete their autumn series with the match against Georgia a week later at Rugby Park Kilmarnock. In addition to the 31 players named yesterday for the three games, four others have been invited to train with the squad and could yet come into contention for a place in the team, with an outing against the Georgians the most likely. Three are from Glasgow - scrum-half Ali Price, winger Rory Hughes and centre Nick Grigg - and the other is Edinburgh back row Magnus Bradbury.

Scotland squad for Autumn Tests: Props: A Dell, A Dickinson (both Edinburgh), Z Fagerson (Glasgow), M Low (Exeter), G Reid (Glasgow). Hookers: F Brown (Glasgow), R Ford, S McInally (both Edinburgh). Locks: G Gilchrist (Edinburgh), J Gray (Glasgow). R Gray (Toulouse), T Swinson (Glasgow). Back row: J Barclay (Scarlets), J Hardie (Edinburgh), R Harley, J Strauss (both Glasgow), H Watson (Edinburgh), R Wilson (Glasgow).

Scrum-halves: G Laidlaw (Gloucester, captain), H Pyrgos (Glasgow). Stand-offs: P Horne, F Russell (both Glasgow). Centres: M Bennett, A Dunbar (both Glasgow), H Jones (Stormers), D Taylor (Saracens). Wings: D Hoyland (Edinburgh), S Maitland (Saracens), T Seymour (Glasgow), T Visser (Harlequins). Full-back: S Hogg (Glasgow).