Recalled Cocu looks set to start against the Finns

DUTCH coach Marco van Basten has added midfielder Phillip Cocu to his squad for the Group 1 qualifier against Finland in Helsinki tomorrow night.

The Dutch need three points to ensure they stay top of the section throughout the summer and their cause has been assisted by the 34-year-old Cocu’s recovery from a knee injury which kept him out of Saturday’s 2-0 victory against Romania.

A yellow card shown to Rafael van der Vaart during that game rules Hamburger SV’s new signing out of the Helsinki encounter, while Mark van Bommel, André Ooijer, Wilfred Bouma and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink have all been left out.

Finland, without a competitive win since October, will be without Joonas Kolkka after the Crystal Palace winger broke his toe in last Thursday’s friendly against Denmark.

Simão Sabrosa is out of Portugal’s squad to face Estonia after team doctors considered him unfit to play in the Group 3 qualifier. Victory in Tallinn could put the undefeated pool leaders six points clear with four games remaining.

Scotland’s position in Group 5 is less comfortable and although they could go fourth with a win against Belarus in Minsk, they will have to do so without injured midfielders Neil McCann and Jackie McNamara, the latter having hurt his groin in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat of Moldova.

Meanwhile, Serbia and Montenegro coach Ilija Petkovic has rested eight players following the weekend’s goalless draw with Belgium. The Group 7 leaders will play a friendly against an experimental Italy squad in Canada and Petkovic has called up six uncapped players including Under-21 quintet Branislav Ivanovic, Marko Basa, Igor Burzanovic, Nemanja Rnic and Vladimir Stojkovic. FK Zeta midfielder Nikola Trajkovic is also in line to feature in Toronto.