Vogts to name friendly squad

Berti Vogts has been Scotland manager for almost half a year but when he gathers his latest squad together he will be meeting some new faces for the first time.

Tomorrow the German is to announce the names of the players who will take on Denmark in a Hampden Park friendly later in the month and then go straight into Euro 2004 qualification battle in the Faroe Islands in early September.

The latter will be Vogts’ first competitive match since succeeding Craig Brown, who stepped down last October.

Friendlies with France, Nigeria, South Korea and South Africa were all used to give younger players a chance – and all were lost.

Injuries had robbed Vogts of a number of established performers and although Brown mainstays Craig Burley and Don Hutchison remain sidelined, others are available once more.

Vogts took in Leeds’ friendly at Rangers on Tuesday to run the rule over Dominic Matteo, a player brought into the Scottish fold in the final 12 months of the Brown era.

Vogts had also gone to watch Everton’s Gary Naysmith, another left-sided player, continue his comeback after even longer out through injury.

Both should be named in the squad tomorrow alongside Rangers captain Barry Ferguson, who sat out that Leeds friendly.

Unlike Naysmith, who had been known to Vogts by reputation and video library file only, Ferguson is already assured of a place in the new regime, fitness permitting.

But he has yet to play for the German, as an agreement brokered last season saw the midfielder, who had been taking pain-killing injections for a rib injury, take part in club fixtures only.

Vogts took an inexperienced squad to the Far East in May and was impressed with the contributions of strikers Scott Dobie and Kevin Kyle plus midfielder Scot Gemmill and defender Lee Wilkie.

It would be a surprise if Dobie and Gemmill were omitted tomorrow but Vogts will have to do without Leicester’s Callum Davidson.

The left-footer completed the Far East tour despite being injured, so keen was he to be part of the new era.

But a well-publicised altercation with former club-mate Dennis Wise left him with a broken jaw.

Vogts has also shown he is unafraid to throw in yet more newcomers even at this late stage in his Euro 2004 planning.

West Bromwich Albion have received official notification from the Scottish Football Association that midfielder Derek McInnes is under consideration.

If he does get picked it will cap a remarkable year for the Baggies captain, who recovered from a serious knee injury to lead his side into the Premiership.

Denmark come to Hampden on Wednesday August 21 in a game that sees Vogts still searching for his first win in the new job.

A Hong Kong XI were beaten on tour but although the SFA awarded caps for that it is not recognised as a full international.

The game in the Faroes takes place on Saturday September 7.