Wright-Phillips starts as Becks out to prove point

SVEN-Goran Eriksson insisted David Beckham would prove he is 'not finished' as an England player in tonight's friendly against Holland.

Rather than replacing Beckham with Shaun Wright-Phillips, he has found a way of including them both at Villa Park.

Rather than asking Wright-Phillips to play out of position on the left, he will again try out a 4-3-3 formation, just as he did against Holland three years ago.

On that occasion, Darius Vassell and Emile Heskey flanked Michael Ricketts. This time around, the line-up will be rather more potent Wright-Phillips and Wayne Rooney either side of Michael Owen.

Beckham will move into the middle alongside Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

While several critics have started to question his automatic place in the England side, Eriksson believes his captain has turned a corner in his recent form for Real Madrid.

Eriksson is likely to look at Wright-Phillips in a right-sided midfield role in the second half after handing substitute debuts to Stewart Downing and Andy Johnson.

Rather than Beckham missing out, Wright-Phillips' inclusion means Jermain Defoe will be a sub.

Rooney will also have to move although Eriksson does not believe that his influence will be affected.

Eriksson will have a quiet word with Rooney, primarily on the subject of controlling his temperament and not swearing at referees.

With six central defenders injured, Wes Brown partners Jamie Carragher in a makeshift defence.

Beckham and Owen are the only two survivors from the side who started Eriksson's first game in charge at the same stadium against Spain four years ago.

New Wales manager John Toshack will be without Ryan Giggs and Robbie Savage and could be deprived of Gavin Williams for the friendly with Hungary because of an ankle injury, so uncapped defender Stephen Roberts has been drafted into the squad.

Danny Collins, Sam Ricketts and Dave Partridge are in line to make debuts.

Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez has called up midfielder Steven Davis for the first time for the friendly against Canada at Windsor Park, while Boston United's prolific striker Andy Kirk, last capped two years ago is recalled.

Jens Lehmann will be keen to impress Jurgen Klinsmann in the friendly with Argentina. Klinsmann has picked Arsenal's keeper ahead of Oliver Kahn and Timo Hildebrand as part of his rotational policy.

Klinsmann will be without his captain Michael Ballack, who has withdrawn from the squad with flu.

With both teams due to meet in the Confederations Cup this summer, it will give both sides a chance of gauging the opposition.

The Czech Republic make the short trip to Slovenia with boss Karel Bruckner, who on Monday was named as the Czech coach of the year for 2004, set to give his fringe players a chance.

Tomas Rosicky, Tomas Galasek, Karel Poborsky, Tomas Ujfalusi and Zdenek Grygera have either been rested or are missing through injury, meaning 23-year-old defensive midfielder Jan Polak could get a chance after a five-year absence.

Jan Koller, who has netted 33 goals in 60 matches for his country, needs just two strikes to become the leading scorer in Czech history, surpassing the legendary Antonin Puc.

Daniel Van Buyten and Wesley Sonck miss Belgium's trip to Egypt so Racing Genk striker Tom Soetaers has been called up.

Meanwhile, Georgi Kinkladze is back as Georgia host Lithuania.

Elsewhere, Israel entertain Croatia, Romania host Slovakia, Switzerland travel to the United Arab Emirates, Estonia visit Venezuela, Moldova make the trip to Azerbaijan and Poland host Belarus.