Five days after things got out of hand at Wembley, Kevin Keegan has decided to chance his arm against Bulgaria in tonight's vital European Championship qualifier.

Never one to demur at going out on a limb during his heady stay at Newcastle United, the England manager has taken the boldest gamble of his short international reign by handing an attacking and unfamiliar team the task of securing the victory required to keep alive realistic hopes of qualifying for next summer's finals through the playoff.

His team includes three strikers and two wing-backs and shows six changes from the line-up that started Saturday's debacle against Sweden. And the new men handed the huge responsibility of helping secure the three points include two debutants, a striker who has not started for England for 19 months and a midfield partnership that has never started an England match together.

It represents a huge leap in the dark for Keegan, though that is not an unfamiliar position for the inveterate cavalier who bucked convention by nearly winning the title with a Newcastle team that had no reverse gear.

Keegan's logic is simple. On Saturday England struggled to create one worthwhile chance, so he has attempted to turn tonight's encounter here into a game of chance in the pursuit of goals and victory.

Injuries to Martin Keown and David Beckham, plus Graeme le Saux's virus and Paul Scholes's suspension, forced his hand somewhat. But as he said yesterday: "I wanted to freshen things up anyway."

So Robbie Fowler, fresh from - and after - his six-match suspension for sniffing a white line and rowing with Le Saux, makes his first start in an England shirt since November 1997 at the expense of Andy Cole. The young central defender Jonathon Woodgate is fasttracked into the England team less than a year after emerging from the Leeds reserves and will partner Gareth Southgate and Sol Campbell in a back three that has no room for Rio Ferdinand.

And Jamie Redknapp, undistinguished against Bulgaria and France at Wembley, is asked to be the master of creation in midfield, with David Batty getting the nod over Tim Sherwood for the holding role alongside.

At least this team boasts balance on the flanks, with Phil Neville resuming in the right wingback role in which he impressed Keegan when he played there in Le Tournoi and Phil Gray making his first England start at left wingback.

Teddy Sheringham makes his first start since the World Cup, in the withdrawn attacking position vacated by Scholes. Alan Shearer and Fowler join forces up front.

"This is a game we must win so this is a team built to go forward, to cause Bulgaria problems at the back," said Keegan, "but it's also a team that's got some security in it as well when they are trying to cause us some problems as they inevitably will."

Keegan, a great admirer of Fowler, was close to bringing on the trouble-prone Liverpool striker at Wembley on Saturday despite the fact that his last competitive game was on April 17th. But the former Anfield goalscorer has convinced himself that the modern-day version is fit enough.

"I have been keen to get Robbie in," Keegan said. "It's been a poor end to the season for a terrifically talented player. Now here's an opportunity for him to show people what he can do - like David Beckham has."

Needless to say, there are many question marks over this England team, and for it to work Keegan needs a lot of hunches to come off.