ALAN SMITH’S good form since joining Manchester United is likely to bring him a first competitive start for England since he was sent off against Macedonia almost two years ago. The striker, who played alongside Michael Owen in the recent friendly against Ukraine, is the favourite to replace the injured Wayne Rooney, although the Everton man will usurp Smith for club and country before too long.
Sven-Göran Eriksson continues to harbour doubts about Smith’s temperament and lack of searing pace, but the England head coach looks set to stick with the forward when England begin their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign with tricky matches away to Austria next Saturday and Poland five days later.
Eriksson will make one more check-call on Rooney’s fitness this weekend before naming his squad on Sunday night but, even though he is back in training, the Everton prodigy has not played a game since limping off with a broken bone in his foot in England’s defeat to Portugal at the European Championship finals.
Rooney, the injured Sol Campbell and the retired Paul Scholes will be the most notable absentees as England pick up the competitive trail after Euro 2004. Eriksson is likely to select the same team that started against Ukraine, with Nicky Butt in the holding role in midfield and Steven Gerrard at the left of the diamond. In the absence of Campbell, who has a sore Achilles, and Rio Ferdinand, who is suspended until next month, the centre backs will almost certainly be John Terry and Ledley King, although there is a worrying lack of cover.
Advertisement
Eriksson will not only have to endure a nervous weekend as his players risk injury in club matches but he will also wait until Wednesday, the day after the squad meet, to be certain that David Beckham, his captain, and Owen are fit to play. The Real Madrid pair will report late because their club have a friendly on Tuesday against Pumas de Mexico for the Bernabéu trophy. Both are expected to play for no more than 45 minutes.
Owen will be hoping to make his debut for his new club tomorrow night in their opening La Liga match away to Real Mallorca. Emilio Butragueño, the former Real striker who is now a club director, believes that the England forward can improve a squad already boasting Ronaldo, Raúl and Fernando Morientes.
“He’s very fast and can play in different positions, as the lead striker or the second forward,” Butragueño said. “He is very intelligent and I’m sure he will click together with his team-mates very fast.
“After just a few days here we can all see he’s a very down-to-earth man and very professional. I don’t think he’ll have any problems in adapting to our culture. Beckham will be able to help him, too, in his first months.”