Steven Naismith is the surprise starter in Kaunas as James McFadden sits on bench

Published on Thursday 2 September 2010 19:30

SCOTLAND manager Craig Levein has sprung a surprise by turning back the clock a year and recalling Steven Naismith to the international side, at the expense of James McFadden.

Kenny Miller leads the Scotland squad at training in Kaunas last night. The Rangers striker will be the sole striker in tonight's starting line-up against Lithuania Picture: SNS

The Rangers player will line up on the left of a midfield which also includes Barry Robson as Scotland seek to give their European Championship qualifying hopes a boost with a win over Lithuania. Lee McCulloch, another Ibrox player, has been selected over Paul Hartley for the role of deep-lying midfielder, while Alan Hutton passed a fitness test to take his place at right-back. As expected 40 year-old David Weir partners Stephen McManus in the middle of the defence.

It is the first time the defenders have been paired together since the 1-0 defeat to the Netherlands in September last year, when then Scotland George Burley manager handed Naismith a shock starting slot in similarly vital circumstances. Scotland needed a win over the Dutch to sustain their faint hopes of qualifying for the World Cup and many believe victory is a must this evening in the Darius Girenas Stadium if Levein's side hope to secure one of the top two places in Group I.

Team to face Lithuania in Kaunas tonight (4-1-4-1):

Allan McGREGOR (Rangers)

Alan HUTTON (Tottenham)

David WEIR (Rangers)

Stephen McMANUS (Middlesbrough)

Steven WHITTAKER (Rangers)

Lee McCULLOCH (Rangers)

Barry ROBSON (Middlesbrough)

Scott BROWN (Celtic)

Darren FLETCHER (Manchester Utd, cap)

Steven NAISMITH (Rangers)

Kenny MILLER (Rangers)

Naismith has only appeared once for Scotland since that night at Hampden, playing just over an hour of the 3-0 friendly defeat to Wales in November. He has featured in all of Rangers' opening three league fixtures this season, scoring in the opener against Kilmarnock.

Levein's brave decision, announced to the players after training last night, provided this evening's clash with yet more intrigue. The opening game of a new campaign has no need to be injected with a further dose of meaning, particularly when it is also the first competitive match under a new manager. But there was the faint sense of a storm being whipped up in the streets of Kaunas yesterday, as reporters ferrying between the two team hotels detected some bitterness lingering in the air. It came chiefly from a hotel known as the Daugirdas, where the Lithuanian side are billeted. Sol Mikoliunas, the former Hearts player, was always likely to grab the most attention following his theatrics the last time Scotland met Lithuania, in September 2007.

That Hampden clash was ignited in the 61st minute when Mikoliunas tumbled to the turf after a challenge from Darren Fletcher. Although the young Slovenian referee Damir Skomina awarded a penalty, from which Lithuania equalised an opening goal from Kris Boyd, TV replays confirmed there had been no contact. Scotland recovered to win 3-1 but it was not forgotten in Kaunas yesterday, with Fletcher claiming that it was something Scotland had to get used to against continental opponents. He made the traditional call for the referee to be strong in tonight's tie."Gaining an advantage is part of football," said the Scotland captain. "We don't experience it too much in our leagues in Scotland and England, although I know a little of it goes on. You just have to trust in the referees.

"We have dealt with many situations away from home in Europe," he added. "We just hope the referee gets the major decisions around the box right."

Across the city Mikoliunas was preparing to speak with reporters, and he clearly had something he wanted to get off his chest. The winger, who now plays in Ukraine, said he was prepared for the reaction of the Scottish fans, who will likely respond to his every touch of the ball with the jeers which greeted him at stadiums in the aftermath of his Hampden outrage.

But it wasn't as if Mikoliunas did not pay a price for what he yesterday described as an "instinctive" act. He earned a two-match ban from Fifa and this clearly still rankles, as does the hypocrisy which he charged Scotland with yesterday.

"Why did nobody speak about the second goal when Kenny Miller scored here after playing the ball with his hand?" he asked, with reference to Scotland's 2-1 win in Kaunas four years ago.

Referring to his punishment from Fifa, he said: "I think I was picked on, maybe because I was playing for a small country."

Something positive might come from it as far as Scotland are concerned, with Fletcher admitting it has made him more circumspect when considering making a challenge in the box. "I allegedly made the foul and the penalty was given even though it was not a penalty," he said. "But I do look back and see that I didn't get the ball. I did lunge in and maybe I have a bit to learn.".