Steve to give Lescott the Cole role

The England coach continued to keep his players guessing on Monday but their training session on a plastic pitch at a school in Altrincham pointed to just two changes to the team who beat Estonia 3-0 on Saturday.

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While a fit-again John Terry will return for Sol Campbell, yesterday's action would suggest that Lescott will replace the injured Ashley Cole at left back.

McClaren has considered a change of formation as well as personnel, switching to a 4-3-3 line-up that would allow Lampard to return as part of a three-man midfield. Given that Guus Hiddink likes to organise his Russia side in a 3-4-3 formation, there is certainly a case for such a reshuffle.

But the players now feel that McClaren will resist the temptation to tinker with a winning formula and remain faithful to a team who secured a fifth successive 3-0 win in this European Championship qualifying campaign.

After missing Saturday with a knee problem, Terry came through yesterday's session unscathed and was given the all-clear by the medical experts from Chelsea and the FA to travel on England's afternoon flight to Moscow from Manchester.

While McClaren should again be admired for having the strength to make tough decisions, one has to hope it is not a rigid 4-4-2 he intends to deploy at the Luzhniki Stadium.

Against Russia at Wembley he positioned Emile Heskey wide left of Michael Owen and urged Shaun Wright-Phillips to push forward, thus creating a front three, and he should consider doing the same this time.

Wayne Rooney has played wide left for Manchester United before, while Wright-Phillips can again join the attack. Selecting Lescott is a bold decision, but one that was difficult to avoid in the absence of Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge. Phil Neville is predominantly right-footed and Nicky Shorey has suffered from a loss of form at Reading.

Lescott looked a little nervous on what was his debut against Estonia, which was perhaps understandable as he came on as a second-half substitute for Rio Ferdinand then had to switch to left back when Ashley Cole disappeared with a badly twisted ankle. McClaren, however, recognises Lescott as defensively sound on the flank — a role he filled regularly for Everton last season.

As the squad arrived in Moscow last night, Steven Gerrard reminded his team-mates just how important a contest this is tomorrow evening. 'The incentives and rewards from this game are massive,' he said.

'A draw wouldn't be a bad result, but we know that we can qualify with a win and that's what we're aiming for.' Gerrard likened the game to England's crunch qualifier in Istanbul four years ago.

He said: 'I can remember the tremendous atmosphere in the dressing room before that game. You looked around and you knew you could trust the player next to you. We gave everything and came through. The feeling now is similar.'