Mills and Murphy set to face South Korea

Eriksson likely to use 4-3-3 formation against host nation as England begin World Cup build-up in earnest

Enough words have been said about Sven Goran Eriksson since he became England manager to fill a book, as several recent authors have proved, but few observations have been as perceptive as that of Guus Hiddink yesterday.

"Sven goes his own way," said the Dutchman, who manages the South Korean team which play England today. "He is not influenced by the outside world. He is not blind or deaf to it, but it is the internal that shapes his mind."

Physical proof of that, very physical if he lives up to reputation, will be supplied by Danny Mills today when the Leeds United defender, not everyone's idea of an England international, lines up at right-back.

The shaven-headed Mills, one of the most ill-disciplined players in the Premiership and one whose defensive play relies more on courage than science, appears to be the beneficiary of Gary Neville's broken metatarsal. While Eriksson has yet to announce his team it is believed he will also give Danny Murphy his first international start in a 4-3-3 formation. That would complete quite a transformation for the Liverpool midfielder who was only named on stand-by when the squad was announced.

Murphy is scheduled to play alongside Owen Hargreaves, another international rookie, and Paul Scholes in a narrow midfield. Michael Owen, who retains the captaincy, will lead the line with Darius Vassell and Emile Heskey attacking from the flanks. It is the formation successfully unveiled in Amsterdam in February and expected to be deployed against Argentina, whose system is similar to the Koreans, in Sapporo on 7 June. It may also be why Mills got the nod ahead of Wes Brown. Brown is a superior defender, but Mills is more capable of supplying the attacking width on the right which Eriksson likes but a narrow midfield will lack.

Elsewhere in defence Sol Campbell's cut shin gives Gareth Southgate the chance to partner Rio Ferdinand in what many observers feel could be England's most coherent centre-back pairing. Nigel Martyn and David James should share goalkeeping duties with David Seaman playing the full 90 minutes in the final warm-up, against Cameroon in Kobe on Sunday.

England's main concern is the avoidance of injury although the players have been reminded that, if they approach the game with that thought uppermost, they are more likely to get hurt. However, with the deadline set by Fifa, football's world governing body, for naming the final 23-man squad expiring at 11pm tonight UK time, few players will be able to prevent it intruding at some stage.

Owen, no stranger to injury, said as he held court poolside: "We don't want to pick up injuries but we need the games. It is not as if we are a club side. We do not play regularly together."

Barring further complications, Kieron Dyer, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Robbie Fowler, none of whom were considered for today's game, will all be in the squad. With Eriksson able to make a change as late as 1 June in the event of injury, Trevor Sinclair can expect to remain with the party on stand-by. Of the injured quartet, Fowler's hip problem is the least serious, Dyer's knee ligament damage the most worrying. Steve McClaren, the coach, said: "We are assessing him hour by hour. Sven wants to give him as much time as possible."

While Eriksson said "the result is not important as long as we do things right" the Koreans seek the prestige of victory. This is a justifiably proud but sometimes insecure nation. Brutally repressed by the Japanese during and prior to the Second World War, only saved from obliteration by the military might of America in the Korean War, the southern section has since become the second Asian economic miracle. Though the economy has recently faltered, like most in Asia, co-hosting the World Cup is intended to put the nation firmly on the global stage. With China awakening Seoul sees itself as perfectly placed to be a trading intermediary.

Thus the decision, despite or perhaps because they are co-hosting with Japan, to build 10 spanking new stadiums – as many as France required to host the whole tournament in 1998. Even the 1988 Seoul Olympic Stadium was not considered up to scratch. It is an achievement which puts the country of the Picketts Lock fiasco and Wembley farce to shame but which lacks any economic sense beyond this tournament. Sogwipo, for example, has a population of under 100,000 yet its stadium holds 42,000.

England trained there yesterday and were clearly impressed. Sunken into the ground in deliberate homage to the many volcanic craters which dot the island, it evokes, with its curves and white tented roof, the best of the Mound Stand at Lord's and the McAlpine at Huddersfield.

The construction effort will, though, be undermined if the team does not perform. The insecurity emerges when Koreans ask why "a country like England, which must have lots of offers" should want to play them [the reason is that Eriksson wanted Asian opposition]. Improved recent results, including the weekend drubbing of a young Scotland team, have eased criticism of Hiddink but he remains under pressure. Though only hired in January last year he has overseen around 30 matches and is expected to ensure South Korea do not become the first host nation to go out in the opening round. He may find in Korea it is easier to build a stadium than a team. Eriksson hopes to prove, during the next six weeks, in England the reverse applies.