Firstly, there is the timely bonus of Greece being shorn through injury of three of their best players in West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, exciting PAOK winger Giannis Konstantelias and £25m striker Fotis Ionnidis of Portugal’s Sporting Club.
All three could have been named in the starting XI by Jovanovic who has insisted this week that there is still plenty for his team to play for.
“We have high-level matches ahead,” he said.
“Although they are not important in terms of points, every match for the national team is different and because we have talent, we are a team with perspective, we have a group of players who live for the national team, we must continue to play well.
“The players represent Greece in the best possible way. We must try to return to good matches and victories.”
There can be some parallels drawn between this Greek side and the Norway team Scotland pipped to a place at Euro 2024.
It is likely that major tournament appearances for this Greek squad are just round the corner and it would be no surprise to see them emulating what the Norwegians have done this year and causing havoc in the qualifying campaign to reach Euro 2028.
And it is those qualifiers in less than two years’ time that Jovanovic and his players are now focussing on which will be enough warning to Scotland that this game won’t be treated lightly by the hosts.
Scotland have already won in Piraeus this year when Scott McTominay’s penalty secured a first leg win in March, but the second half was a struggle after the introduction of the dynamic youngster Konstantinos Karetsas who will surely start this game ahead of his 18th birthday this month.
He has set up six goals in his last four matches for club side Genk, including two against Braga in the Europa League last Thursday, whilst Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis will have replayed his glaring first half Hampden miss last month many times since. He has 14 goals in 22 appearances this season for his club and will be keen to start making amends.
Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis has already spoken about the revenge on his mind after Scotland’s pilfering of all three points four weeks ago which suggests the Greeks won’t be giving Clarke’s men any easier a ride on Saturday.
There may be a bitter taste in Greek mouths just now, but that in itself could yet deny the Scots the sweet taste of their own success this month if they can turn the tables on Clarke.
