Countdown starting on McClaren as injuries bite

It is, after all, 90 days until the final fixture of England's European Championship qualifying campaign — a potentially decisive home encounter against Croatia.

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All smiles: Smith (second right) shares a joke with England assistant boss Venables as Phil Neville looks on

Ninety days that will probably determine if McClaren still has a job. "That's when I will be judged," said England's head coach yesterday.

Judging him at Wembley tonight will not be easy when he has had two training sessions with an England squad missing key personnel and ravaged by injuries.

Even the majority of those who are expected to start in only England's second game at their magnificent new home are struggling for fitness.

Michael Owen is only just back from injury. Ditto John Terry, Joe Cole and David Beckham. Frank Lampard is playing with a broken toe and Michael Carrick and Ashley Cole are carrying "knocks".

Ashley Cole, it is understood, had to have a scan on Monday and was deep in conversation with McClaren at the end of yesterday's training session.

No wonder McClaren said it was "difficult" for him to announce his team, as is often his way the day before friendlies. "We have to assess a few of the players and see how they are after we train again in the morning," he said. "Until then we won't know the team."

If it follows what happened at London Colney yesterday then Alan Smith will start up front alongside Owen, which would be great if the two were deployed as a partnership at Newcastle but not so encouraging when Sam Allardyce has so far used Smith in midfield.

McClaren dismissed any concerns about Smith's stuttering display against Brazil back in June. "When he came back into the squad in the summer I think he was still recovering from injury," the head coach said. "But since then he's had a pre-season, he's moved clubs and he is playing regularly, albeit in a different position.

"But Alan Smith's attitude and commitment are fantastic and he's needed that to come back from injury. He was a big asset for us in Albania and his attitude in Brazil was good. He knows he can be better, but he's in much better condition now."

In fairness to McClaren, his options are horribly limited up front. Wayne Rooney was already missing through injury, and Darren Bent and Andy Johnson, who was sent back to Everton yesterday with fluid on a knee, have both withdrawn since joining up this week.

Add to that the fact that Jermain Defoe is too similar to Owen and Peter Crouch is suspended for next month's qualifier against Israel and options are limited unless McClaren opts for Joe Cole as a second striker and brings in Stewart Downing on the left flank.

Smith is the way McClaren intends to go but even then it will not last long. Because of injuries, and because he has to prepare very much with Israel and the game that follows three days later against Russia in mind, a number of changes will be made at half-time.

Crouch will be available to face Russia on Wednesday, September 12, so he is expected to replace Smith at the start of the second half, while Defoe will probably come on for Owen along with other fringe players.

McClaren insisted the week has had its uses. "I have been involved with England for six years and I don't think there has been any occasion where we have sat down and named the 11 players we wanted to," he said.

'But it has been a useful get-together. It is a long time since we played Brazil and Estonia. We just wanted to remind the players of the performances that should have won us the game against Brazil and got us back into contention in the group against Estonia.

"We have big games ahead and it is just putting the England agenda back in their minds. They have been with their clubs throughout pre-season. They have just had three hectic games in a week.

"Their heads are spinning and it is a case of clearing their heads, saying England is back on the agenda. We are together. This is what we have done, this is where we are, this is what we want to achieve.

"This is just preparation but it's good preparation. It will be against Germany, in front of 90,000 people at a stadium that is still new to them.

"You can do lots of things in training but you need games to get a proper look at things."

The last time England met Germany, Owen scored a hat-trick, England won 5-1 and Sven Goran Eriksson was hailed in Munich as a football genius. Six years on and the stakes are nothing like as high.

McClaren said: "Somebody mentioned that game to me, but look at how things turned out. We beat them 5-1 and they got to the World Cup Final the following summer."

He did not then finish the sentence by saying England bowed out at the quarter-final stage with a rather lacklustre performance against Brazil. But that was not the point.

Once again, it is what happens after England meet Germany that counts. While there will be little charity on the pitch, England's players will, for the first time, donate their match fees to some of their designated beneficiaries.