Weir votes with feet over Vogts criticism

Berti Vogts must cope with a new problem in his ill-starred career as Scotland coach as he contemplates today's squad announcement for the Euro 2004 qualifier in Iceland on 12 October.

Derogatory comments attributed to Vogts have led to the Everton defender David Weir sending a letter to the Scottish Football Association making it clear that he no longer wants to play for his country.

One of Vogts' first acts as Scotland coach was to try to persuade two high-profile former internationals – Duncan Ferguson and Gary McAllister – to come out of their own self-imposed international exiles. He failed to convince either player and now the exasperated Weir, who, together with his defensive partner Christian Dailly, was blamed for the failure to win in the Faroe Islands last month, has joined them.

Weir, one of the most experienced players Vogts could have called upon, was angered by comments made about him and Dailly to a German journalist following the 2-2 draw in Toftir. Vogts denied that he had singled out either Weir or Dailly, but it seems clear that the Everton player was unwilling to accept his coach's version of events.

Whoever Vogts names in today's squad, which will also be involved in an Easter Road friendly with Canada a few days after arriving back from Reykjavik, will have a difficult task. Despite having a population barely greater than Aberdeen, Iceland have moved ahead of their opponents in the Fifa world rankings, where Scotland can now be found in an all-time low of 63rd place. Two years ago they were 20th.

Weir's absence, however, opens the door for Lee Wilkie of Dundee and Steven Pressley of Hearts. Wilkie has been a squad regular under Vogts having impressed in May's tour of the Far East and he should start alongside Dailly.

Pressley was often named in squads under the previous coach, Craig Brown, but found opportunities limited when Colin Hendry was still wearing the captain's armband and playing alongside Matt Elliott.

There has also been a clamour to add Motherwell's mercurial teenager James McFadden to the pool. The 19-year-old is regarded as the most promising young prospect in the Scottish game and Vogts took a seat to watch him in action last week, seeing him score his side's only goal of the game.

Middlesbrough's Robbie Stockdale is all but certain to be included this time. He did not play in Toftir because he had to play a club game against Manchester United two days before the flight out, and that had forced him to miss training sessions.

The Rangers winger Neil McCann has not played for his club since pulling out of the last squad because of a thigh injury. He has resumed training and could therefore time his comeback perfectly to make a return to the side on the left flank.

It is the right flank where Vogts' options have been limited. Birmingham's Paul Devlin is Scots-qualified through his father and Vogts would be the first to admit that he is in no position to keep a Premiership player out of a squad of limited resources.

Crystal Palace's Dougie Freedman played wide on the right against the then world champions, France, in March but has not been seen since. In Toftir, the Leicester striker Paul Dickov was given the job only to be replaced after the interval by the West Brom forward Scott Dobie, who had started the match in his normal position.