Venue: Darius Girenas Stadium, Kaunas Kick-off: 7.15pm

SCOTLAND MANAGER Craig Levein has promised the nation a much-improved display in his first competitive match tonight.

Scotland’s preparations for their qualifying campaign suffered a blow last month when a weakened team lost 3-0 in Sweden. But Levein has recalled Kenny Miller and David Weir against Lithuania in Kaunas and the former Scotland defender was also able to call upon the services of experienced players such as Stephen McManus, Lee McCulloch, Scott Brown and Alan Hutton.

“I assure you we will be better than we were in Sweden,” Levein said. “I hesitate to go back too often to the Sweden game. There are lessons to be learned but there could be seven or eight players different in this match from the last one so it’s probably not a fair comparison.

“The tempo of training has improved enormously and I think it’s because of the importance of the game (against Lithuania).

Scotland kicked off their previous European Championship campaign with an important 2-1 victory in Kaunas.

“We have had a chat already with some of the guys who have played against Lithuania at the stadium and against some of the players we are playing against,” Levein said. “It’s helpful for any team not be fazed by the surroundings.”

That victory four years ago allowed Scotland to push the then world champions, Italy, and runners-up France for qualification, and they again face the best team on the planet this time with Spain the clear favourites in a group that also contains the Czech Republic and Liechtenstein.

SCOTLAND (v Lithuania): McGregor, Hutton, Weir, McManus, Whittaker, Brown, D Fletcher, McCulloch, Robson, Naismith, Miller.