Hristov fitness is key to Macedonia hopes

England's Group Seven opponents on Wednesday, Macedonia, are under no illusions as to the magnitude of their task in their qualifier against Turkey in Skopje this afternoon.

"If we produce a surprise win against Turkey, we will surprise ourselves too," their coach, Nikola Ilievski, admitted.

Ilievski has to decide how best to use his key player, the former Barnsley striker Georgi Hristov, who has not fully recovered from a recent injury. Depending on the coach's tactics, Hristov will play just one half or come on as a substitute after the break.

The Turkish front line, with the troubled striker Hakan Sukur dropped from the squad, is also open to some doubt. The Galatasaray forward Arif Erdem is in fine form, scoring twice in their 3-0 win over Slovakia, and looks almost certain to play. Fenerbahce's Serhat Akin proved an able partner for Arif against Slovakia but Nihat Kahveci's impressive form for Real Sociedad could give him the nod.

Attacker Hasan Sas, so impressive in Turkey's successful World Cup campaign, has not displayed the same form for Galatasaray yet this season and could lose out on the left to the more reliable skills of Ergun Penbe.

The Chievo defender Salvatore Lanna has been given his first call-up to the Italy squad after Francesco Coco was forced to pull out of the team's training camp for the Group Nine qualifiers against Yugoslavia and Wales with a thigh strain.

The Internazionale full-back Coco complained of injury during a training match on Wednesday. He said he had been suffering a back problem for some time.

Coco is the second player to drop out of Giovanni Trapattoni's squad with an injury after the forward Francesco Totti succumbed to knee and thigh injuries.

Against the Yugoslavs in Milan today, Trapattoni will also be without the Inter midfielder Luigi Di Biagio who has flu but is hoping to be fit in time for Wednesday's game against Wales in Cardiff.

"I am out of action at the moment and I won't be able to be ready for Saturday but we will see about Wednesday," said Di Biagio.

Another player down with flu is the Juventus defender Mark Iuliano but he is expected to be fit for today.