Scholes asked to orchestrate

Having orchestrated the half-time transition of England in Slovakia from a flat team hitting few of the right notes to one that, in his words, played "another music", Sven-Goran Eriksson is unlikely to change his tune when England meet Macedonia in Southampton tonight.

Eriksson is expected to stick with the diamond midfield that led the fightback in Bratislava on Saturday, meaning Paul Scholes will play in the hole rather than on the left.

Only one change in personnel from that which started the second half in Slovakia had been anticipated, Sol Campbell returning at the expense of Jonathan Woodgate, but Eriksson may be faced with another alteration after Emile Heskey missed full training yesterday afternoon at a St Mary's stadium lashed by wind and rain.

Heskey, one of four players including Kieron Dyer who participated in light jogging and stretching only on Monday, is carrying a slight groin strain. If he cannot play then Alan Smith will step up for his competitive start.

Smith impressed in last month's friendly with Portugal at Villa Park, scoring with a powerful header, and both he and Eriksson would be comfortable about him replacing Heskey. Smith got about seven seconds when he came on for Heskey in Bratislava last Saturday, but at least he got on. Darius Vassell did not.

Whoever partners Michael Owen, the pair will again be reliant on Scholes bridging the gap between midfield and attack. In the first half in Bratislava England were stretched out across the lumpy pitch; "lonely" was how Owen described the isolation of himself and Heskey.

But when another kind of music began, with Scholes conducting, England were much better company.

Scholes' name dominated Eriksson's thoughts yesterday and the Manchester United player has the opportunity to become the key creative personality in the side this evening.

Together with Steven Gerrard and David Beckham, Eriksson said Scholes could walk into any club or international team in the world. The fourth midfielder from Slovakia, Nicky Butt, was omitted from Eriksson's short list.

"If he could choose his position forever, he would choose central midfield," Eriksson said of Scholes and his relative reluctance to play on the left. "But Paul Scholes is a very bright football player and he sees more than himself. Every time I talk to him I am surprised, he is a thinker - he could be a manager. Maybe he doesn't talk very much, but he thinks football and he knows what's best for the team. We talked in the World Cup. He's very bright. Maybe tomorrow he will be more central."

Scholes in the hole in turn leaves another hole - on the left. But that is nothing new for Eriksson. No fewer than 11 different characters have tried to fill that berth in Eriksson's 22 matches in charge, and it appears that, at least temporarily, Eriksson has abandoned hope of finding an automatic answer. Scholes certainly is more effective centrally.

Ultimately it is about getting the balance right. Against a Macedonia side that Eriksson and his scouts felt were a little unlucky to lose to Turkey at the weekend, England may have to be patient.

Macedonia will play with 10 men behind the ball and could frustrate England the way Albania did before being overcome at St James' Park last year.

Guardian Service