Brown's target is senior recall

Wesley Brown will be looking to enhance his claims for a recall to the senior England squad when the Under-21 side - managed by Sammy Lee in the absence of Howard Wilkinson - take on Finland here tonight.

Wesley Brown will be looking to enhance his claims for a recall to the senior England squad when the Under-21 side - managed by Sammy Lee in the absence of Howard Wilkinson - take on Finland here tonight.

The first priority for the Manchester United defender, however, must be to regain full match fitness after a lengthyinjury lay-off. Brown had already been earmarked as an England stalwart of the future after winning a first cap against Hungary in Budapest in April 1999 - Kevin Keegan's second match in charge.

That followed on from a string of impressive performances with the very successful Under-21 side, for whom he made his debut against Sweden in Sundsvaal in September 1998.

Then Brown suffered cruciate ligament damage in a training ground incident in July 1999 which forced him out of the whole of last season. He has been gently eased back into first-team action at Old Trafford via one full and one substitute's appearance in the Premiership, plus a place in the starting line-up for the Champions' League game with PSV Eindhoven.

His international rehabilitation has also begun and he was particularly impressive for the England Under-21 side in last Friday's 1-1 draw in a European Championship qualifier with Germany at Pride Park.

Brown said: "It's brilliant to be back involved with the Under-21s and once you get to that level, then stepping up into the full squad is on everyone's minds. I'd love to be part of the squad again."

Brown believes that England can bounce back from the disappointment of drawing with the Germans after Titus Bramble's goal was cancelled out via a late equaliser. He said: "We can't look on that result as a disaster. It was a deserved draw with a new-look team against a good side and Alan Smith had a goal disallowed when the ball looked to have crossed the line.

"There is plenty of quality here and we've got a good enough side to get a result in Finland."

Lee must make one change with the Liverpool defender Stephen Wright serving a one-match ban after his sending-off against the Germans.

Barnsley's former Everton defender, Carl Regan, has been called into the squad as a replacement for Wright.