England and Spain seek feelgood factor

England and Spain meet for a friendly today with both sides badly in need of a confidence boost before next month's Euro 2008 qualifiers.

In another lucrative warm-up tonight, Germany's substitute strikers have a chance to audition for one key qualifying role when they renew their rivalry with Switzerland in Duesseldorf.

France coach Raymond Domenech will be forced to field a makeshift defence for the friendly against Argentina as Dutch coach Marco van Basten prepares to face Russia missing almost half his regular squad in Amsterdam.

England and Spain are feeling the heat after a disappointing start to qualifying.

England are third in Group E, a point behind Russia and three adrift of leaders Croatia. Steve McClaren will be without several first-choice players at Old Trafford, with captain John Terry almost certain to be rested after a long injury absence.

Jonathan Woodgate, back with England for the first time since March 2004, will replace Terry in central defence.

Wayne Rooney has been ruled out of a re-shuffled England side.

McClaren said Rooney, who picked up a knock in Man. United's 4-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, had not recovered in time and would be replaced by Peter Crouch.

McClaren is trying to find a way of putting more bite into an England side who are unlikely to have Michael Owen back this season.

Though they will have no doubts about beating Andorra on March 28 in Barcelona, a defeat in Israel four days before that could have serious consequences.

Fifth in Group F and nine points off leaders Sweden, Spain have accumulated just one win and two defeats so far.

Another setback today would renew the calls for Luis Aragones to pack his bags.

Lukas Podolski is ineligible for the 49th meeting between Germany and Switzerland after picking up a two-match friendly ban for his sending-off against Georgia in October.

Of far more concern to coach Joachim Loew is that Miroslav Klose, Podolski's regular strike partner and top scorer at the World Cup, is suspended for the Euro 2008 Group D qualifier against Czech Republic in Prague on March 24.

Klose is in danger of missing today's game as well, after suffering a hand injury in Werder Bremen's defeat by Schalke 04 on Sunday, and that could mean an all new strike pairing against the Swiss.

Squad regular Mike Hanke will be confident of bagging one of the two places, with the recalled Kevin Kuranyi probably next in line.

Germany have 10 points from four Euro 2008 qualifiers and lead the group on goal difference from the Czechs.

Switzerland are already assured of qualification as co-hosts with Austria, and today's game against the team that finished third at the last World Cup will be a useful test.

For France, rock-solid William Gallas is injured, as is his usual replacement Jean-Alain Boumsong, while veteran Lilian Thuram and Philippe Mexes are not fully fit and are set to remain on the bench for the World Cup runners-up.

Argentina defender Roberto Ayala, should he play, will win his 107th cap and become his country's most-capped international tonight.

France have not played the South Americans since 1986 in Paris when the French secured a 2-0 victory.

Javier Zanetti, surprisingly left out of Argentina's World Cup squad, has been recalled and is set to play his first game since the 3-2 defeat by England in a friendly in 2005.

Holland goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and defenders Andre Ooijer and Khalid Boulahrouz are all sidelined through injury, while in attack, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben are missing for the same reason.

Russia's Dutch coach Guus Hiddink is also having to contend with a long injury list and has just 18 available players, three of whom are goalkeepers.

Fixtures

Euro 2008 - Group D
San Marino vs Ireland 20.45

Friendlies
Albania vs Macedonia 16.00
Andorra vs Armenia 20.30
Belgium vs Czech Republic 20.45
Croatia vs Norway 20.15
Egypt vs Sweden 19.00
England vs Spain 21.00
France vs Argentina 21.00
Georgia vs Turkey 18.00
Germany vs Switzerland 20.00
Holland vs Russia 20.30
Iran vs Belarus 14.30
Israel vs Ukraine 17.30
Malta vs Austria 18.00
Moldova vs Romania 16.00
Slovakia vs Poland 20.30
Slovenia vs Estonia 20.15