Paul Scholes was England's not-so-secret World Cup weapon last night as he filled Paul Gascoigne's midfield position and scored five minutes from time as Glenn Hoddle's team beat Caen 10 in northern France.
With press and photographers banned from this warm-up with the second division club, only around 200 local dignitaries and Caen officials saw Hoddle field a starting line-up, intriguingly, with Michael Owen - and not Teddy Sheringham - partnering Alan Shearer up front.
David Batty was missing from midfield at the start, with Darren Anderton and David Beckham opening. Sol Campbell and Graeme Le Saux, neither fully fit according to Hoddle, appeared to be replaced by Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Southgate at the start.
David Seaman dispelled serious injury fears by starting in goal after earlier flying out with heavy strapping around his left thigh. But it was said this was purely precautionary, to protect his dead leg.
Italy's attacking options for the game against their main Group B rivals Chile in Bordeaux tomorrow have been severely limited by injury and illness.
Alessandro Del Piero will miss the game because of a pulled adductor muscle, while Fabrizio Ravanelli's participation in the tournament is in doubt after he was admitted to hospital with suspected bronchitis. If X-rays reveal that to be the case the former Middlesbrough player will be replaced by the Parma striker Enrico Chiesa. Italy have until 3.30pm today to make a decision.
Christian Vieri is likely to be partnered in Italy's attack at the Parc Lescure by Roberto Baggio. Holland's captain Frank de Boer is doubtful for their opening game in Group E against Belgium at the Stade de France on Saturday. The Ajax defender, recently the subject of a rejected £9 million bid by Arsenal, twisted his left ankle in training on Monday.
Arsene Wenger's success at Highbury has so enamoured the French public that they have voted for him as the man they want to succeed Aime Jacquet, who will retire as manager after the World Cup. Wenger has not been approached by the French Football Federation and said yesterday: "I have a contract at Arsenal with one year remaining and I might extend it."
Alfredo Di Stefano has been chosen in a World Team of the Twentieth Century although he never graced a Mundial. The side was picked by an international panel and 250 journalists for Mastercard, a World Cup sponsor.
Lennart Johansson is to meet his closest advisers in Paris today to decide if he still has a future in football. The 68-year-old was stunned when bitter rival Sepp Blatter dealt him a crushing defeat on Monday in the fight for president of FIFA.
The FIFA secretary general collected 111 votes to pre-election favourite Johansson's 80 votes. Johansson was so shocked by the count that it was more than 10 minutes before he realised he could not win and withdrew from the second round of voting.
The United States, who have struggled to fin the net in recent warm-up matches, put four away against a French second division club yesterday. Brian McBride, Cobi Jones, Brian Maisonneuve and Ernie Stewart all scored in the 4-0 win over Gueugnon, played behind closed doors at the Americans' training ground near Lyon.
Croatia beat French amateurs Raon l'Etape 2-1 At their base camp yesterday in their final World Cup warm-up before a 7,000 crowd with goals from Mario Stanic and Davor Stuker.
World Team: Yashin (Soviet Union); Car- los Alberto (Brazil), Beckenbauer (West Germany), Moore (England), Nilton Santos (Brazil); Cruyff (Holland), Di Stefano (Argentina and Spain), Platini (France); Garrincha (Brazil), Pele (Brazil), Maradona (Argentina).
