Toulouse will be on emergency alert and England's World Cup challenge at some risk when Glenn Hoddle takes his team into its first authentic test this evening.

Romania bar the way on the pitch and French riot police are threatening to make life difficult for the thug element of England's support off it, if the mindless violence of Marseille is repeated.

It was emphasised at yesterday's press conference that local police, augmented by units drafted in from other regions, will adopt any measures necessary to protect persons and property in Toulouse over the next 24 hours.

Those kind of strident statements have been heard before, however, and it remains to be seen what action will be taken against those fans who are now surely identifiable after the pictorial evidence of Marseille's nights of shame.

Where all of this leaves England's hopes of staging the finals in 2006 is anybody's guess, but of more immediate importance are the effects it could have on Hoddle's players as they make ready for an examination which has been on their minds ever since the draw for the finals was made.

Colombia, even in their better moments, failed to impress in their opening game and with Tunisia apparently merely making up the numbers, the consensus here is that England and Romania will qualify from Group G.

If that line of logic proves sound, the distinction of topping the table and, with it, the prize of an easier passage to the quarterfinals will hinge on this evening's game, a powerful incentive for Hoddle and his Romanian counterpart, Anghel Iordanescu.

In finishing ahead of the Republic of Ireland in their qualifying group, Romania gave substance to their reputation as one of Europe's better teams. And yet the suspicion remains that, like Croatia and Bulgaria, age may fast be catching up on them.

That is certainly true of Gheorghe Hagi, an inspirational leader in both Italy and the US, but now to be found increasingly at the periphery of the action. Significantly, he was withdrawn in the closing stages of their 1-0 win over Colombia, but if his allround effectiveness has diminished, his potential in dead ball situations remains as menacing as ever.

With Hagi's decline, the responsibility for rallying the team is now more evenly spread, but in Adrian Ilie's superbly taken goal against the Colombians, Hoddle will have been reminded of the disquieting truth that they are capable of summoning some marvellous touches.

England's challenge is to find the missing finishing skills which prevented them routing Tunisia in their opening game. Two misses by Paul Scholes identified the problem at an early stage and as they clung precariously to Alan Shearer's lead goal, it looked as if the Manchester United man would pay with his place for the Romanian fixture.

His finely taken goal late in the game has now probably guaranteed him a place in the starting line-up, but Hoddle acknowledges that profligacy on the same scale this evening may well prove ruinous.

That focuses the spotlight on Shearer and, to an even greater extent, his front-line partner Terry Sheringham, who apart from one superb shot scarcely did enough to hint that he can be a winner here.

Yet, Hoddle is likely to resist the temptation to play Michael Owen from the start, just as he may disappoint his Liverpool team-mate, Steve McManaman, for the task of giving additional width to the attack.

A perceived weakness in the pivotal positions in defence, where Tony Adams was at times less than assured, was disguised by David Batty's performance in front of him and for all the Newcastle player's limitations going forward, he will again be asked to complement Paul Ince in central midfield.

In fact the team with which England start the game may well be unchanged unless Gareth Southgate's injured foot brings in Gary Neville at the back. The debate about whether David Beckham should be playing on the right instead of Darren Anderton rumbles on but overlooks the fact that with three substitutes available modern matches are, in effect, 14-a-side.

That still doesn't address England's biggest weakness further up the field and on Hoddle's ability to induce a greater sense of thrift among his front men may rest his hopes of achieving the win that would put them in good shape for the knock-out stages of the championship.

Probable Teams ENGLAND: Seaman; Southgate (or Neville), Adams, Campbell; Anderton, Ince, Batty, Le Saux; Scholes; Shearer, Sheringham.

Romania: Stelea; Petrescu, Ciobotariu, Gheorghe Popescu, Selymes (or Filipescu); Munteanu, Galca, Gabriel Popescu; Hagi; Moldovan, Ilie.

Referee: M Batta (France).