Craig Brown is to stick with the old faithfuls today as Scotland pursue the victory over Latvia that will virtually guarantee automatic passage to the World Cup finals. In the event of taking three points in front of a capacity crowd of 50,000 at Celtic Park, the Scots could be forced into a play-off as runners-up in Group Four only by the improbable - most would say impossible - eventuality of the Faroe Islands beating Spain in Gijon tonight.
Victory alone would be enough to allow the Scots to win the qualifying section should Austria, the current leaders, fail simultaneously to beat Belarus in Vienna. That, however, is regarded by Brown as almost as remote a possibility as defeat for the Spanish. All of these possibilities and permutation, though, cannot obscure the primary objective, which is to repeat the performance and result against Latvia of a year ago, when Scotland won 2-0 in Riga.
Brown, with all of his squad free of injury worries - striker Kevin Gallacher passed a fitness test yesterday - will field a side crammed with experience in most areas, although Derby County's Christian Dailly, winning his fifth cap in central defence, may be seen as an exception.
This means that claimants such as Simon Donnelly, the Celtic striker, and the Leeds midfielder, David Hopkin, will be on the subsitutes' bench. The fact that neither of these players has been able to force his way in encourages Brown to believe that his squad could hardly be stronger. Rangers' Gordon Durie, making his 37th appearance, will partner Gallacher in attack, with Gary McAllister of Coventry, Borussia Dortmund's Paul Lambert and John Collins of Monaco re-forming the tried and trusted midfield. The Celtic pair, Craig Burley and Tom Boyd, are likely to be the wing-backs, with Dailly joining Blackburn's Colin Hendry and Tottenham's Colin Calderwood in central defence and the old reliable, 38-year-old Jim Leighton of Aberdeen, keeping goal.
'I think the relevant thing just now,' said Brown, 'is that all of our players are in outstanding form for their clubs. Even our substitutes are playing well and that is a very good sign. 'I'm sure we have improved and become stronger since we won in Riga, but so have the Latvians. They have brought in one or two new players and they have taken ten points from their matches so far, so they shouldn't be regarded as out-and-out minnows. 'They are capable of scoring, with Vitas Rimkus up front. They've brought in a younger fellow called Marians Pahars to join Rimkus in attack and he has done well. Like every team, Latvia are capable of creating a chance or two at some time during the match.
'That would be a worry for us, because the thing that could beat us - or any side - is a lapse in concentration. But we have huge experience in defence and we would be optimistic about their ability to maintain their concentration.' Brown's caution is natural and understandable on the eve of such a promising event, but the words from the Latvian coach, Janis Gilis, yesterday would have dispelled even the mildest of apprehension. 'We're not here to spoil your party,' said Gilis. 'And if you get your result, we will be the first to shake you by the hand.' Now, these are the kind of guests who would be welcome at any party.
Scotland (probable) - Leighton (Aberdeen); Calderwood (Tottenham), Hendry (Blackburn), Dailly (Derby); Burley (Celtic), McAllister (Coventry), Lambert (B. Dortmund), Collins (Monaco), Boyd (Celtic); Durie (Rangers), Gallacher (Blackburn).
