Brown seeks flair up front

Billy McKinlay and Simon Donnelly are more likely to capture Craig Brown's attention than the overall Scotland performance or result in tonight's World Cup warm-up against Finland.

McKinlay, the Blackburn midfielder, and Donnelly, the Celtic forward, seem likely to occupy the positions causing the national team manager most concern in this last outing before he selects his squad for France.

Brown confirmed that McKinlay will be in central midfield from the start, trying to emulate the creative work of Gary McAllister, the Scotland captain who has to miss the World Cup because of cruciate ligament damage.

Brown also expressed his keenness to see Donnelly, who regularly plays wide on the right for his club, in one of the central striking positions, where only Kevin Gallacher and Gordon Durie have so far established themselves.

Brown was unable to name his side for the match at Easter Road because of the late withdrawal of Celtic's Craig Burley and the doubts over Gallacher (throat infection) and the goalkeeper Andy Goram (hamstring).

"But McKinlay will play and I would like to see, at least at some stage, young Donnelly in the attack," Brown said. "I've gone on long enough about how solid we can be in defence, and eight goals lost in 24 competitive matches speaks for itself. But we definitely haven't been creating enough menace from middle to front and that has to be addressed."

McKinlay assumes an onerous task in trying to succeed McAllister, whose absence from the last friendly, against Denmark at Ibrox four weeks ago, largely explained the disarray and lack of forceful progress from midfield that night.

"Anybody would find it hard to succeed Gary," said McKinlay, "and I'm not the only candidate. This is the last game before the squad is named for the trip to America next month, so a few guys will be putting themselves about."

Finland will be relying on their Dutch connection, with Ajax Amsterdam's Jari Litmanen bidding to repeat his goal against the Scots in Glasgow six years ago. In all, coach Richard Moller Neilsen has named five players in his squad who earn their living in Holland.