Football: Roxburgh experiments with inexperience

UNLIKE Graham Taylor, Andy Roxburgh has neither key players returning to peak condition nor any more than a remote chance of taking Scotland to next year's World Cup finals - realities reflected in the experimental squad he named last night for the final Group One home fixture against Switzerland at Aberdeen a week tomorrow, writes Phil Shaw.

The list of those either unavailable or overlooked reads like a Who's Who of Scottish football in recent times. It contains Goram, Malpas, McCall, McCoist, McLaren, McPherson and Hendry (all injured); Gough (unwilling to play for Roxburgh); Robertson and McClair (currently out of their respective club sides); plus Duncan Ferguson, whom the national coach regards as being short of the requisite fitness.

Roxburgh still felt sufficiently confident of his home-based resources to resist the claims of Spurs' Colin Calderwood and Liverpool's Don Hutchison. Indeed, there are only four 'Anglos' in his 21-strong pool, which also includes five players with no full international experience.

Chris McCart, a central defender with the Premier Division pace-setters Motherwell, is called up for the first time at 26, while his club-mate, the midfielder Phil O'Donnell, is promoted after some outstanding displays at Under-21 level. The uncapped quintet is completed by Ally Maxwell and Alan Main, who will provide goalkeeping back-up to Bryan Gunn, and the Aberdeen defender Gary Smith.

Gordon Durie, a frequent absentee last season, wins a recall to what looks a somewhat lightweight set of strikers. Eoin Jess and Ian Durrant, whose contributions have also been fitful because of injuries, return to enhance Roxburgh's attacking options.

The introduction of Durrant in Berne last September, with the score

1-1 and 20 minutes remaining, was a gamble which backfired as Switzerland went on to win 3-1. Coached by an Englishman, Roy Hodgson, the Swiss have been on a roll ever since, with only Germany and Italy rated above them in Fifa's world rankings.

SCOTLAND SQUAD (World Cup qualifier v Switzerland, at Aberdeen, 8 September): Gunn (Norwich), Maxwell (Rangers), Main (Dundee Utd), Boyd (Celtic), Irvine (Aberdeen), Levein (Hearts), McCart (Motherwell), McKimmie (Aberdeen), Smith (Aberdeen), Bowman (Dundee Utd), Collins (Celtic), Durrant (Rangers), I Ferguson (Rangers), McAllister (Leeds), McStay (Celtic), O'Donnell (Motherwell), Booth (Aberdeen), Jess (Aberdeen), Nevin (Tranmere), Gallacher (Blackburn), Durie (Tottenham).