World Cup Football: Brown is spoilt for choice in midfield: Taylor forced to make late decision on who will watch Overmars as Scotland ponder the role of McAllister

CRAIG BROWN, Scotland's interim manager, finds himself mercifully free of the eternal nightmare of mass withdrawals from his squad as he ponders the options for the penultimate World Cup Group One fixture against Italy in the Eternal City tomorrow night.

In fact, Brown faces the opposite problem. It is one Andy Roxburgh, his predecessor, seldom had the luxury of grappling with during seven years in which he named an unchanged side only once - namely an embarrassment of riches, especially in midfield.

Brown revealed yesterday that Gary McAllister, an inspirational leader in the draw with Switzerland which confirmed the Scots' failure to qualify for next year's finals, would retain the captaincy. He must now consider who to deploy alongside the Leeds playmaker, as well as where he will perform.

McAllister would normally have expected to stay in his favoured central position, with Dundee United's Dave Bowman remaining as his foil. The difference from Roxburgh's last match is that Brown can now call on Paul McStay, the previous captain and the most capped player in the party, and a fit-again Stuart McCall, plus Pat Nevin and Ian Durrant.

While Roxburgh often used McAllister wide on the right, the player has made it clear he would regard a reversion to that more peripheral position as a retrograde step, so there is a possibility that he and McStay, though similar in style, will operate in tandem.

The alternative would be to go for the more balanced axis of McAllister and either Bowman or McCall, with McStay left on the bench. Such a bold course would demonstrate that Brown is his own man.

Alan McLaren, the Hearts defender, will return after injury, although Brown said he would not be man-marking Roberto Baggio, this time. In last November's meeting, McLaren tailed Juventus's free spirit slavishly, but tomorrow Scotland may be able to disregard him; he has a knee injury which has forced Arrigo Sacchi, the Italy coach, to delay naming his side.

The sides met in Glasgow on a cold, wet night, with a damp squib of a goalless draw to boot, whereas temperatures in the Olympic Stadium are expected to nudge the 70s. With Italy desperate to win in order to keep alive their chances of going to the United States, the heat is certainly on for Brown.