Smith's starting test

Smith played alongside Owen in last month's 3-0 friendly win over Ukraine, but his nine appearances have produced just one goal - and that was two years ago in a friendly against Portugal.

But the ease with which the former Leeds striker has adapted to a new life at Old Trafford has impressed the England coach and he knows that Smith should benefit from Sir Alex Ferguson's shrewd guidance in exactly the same way as Rooney.

Four years ago, when England began their bid to qualify for the 2002 World Cup in Japan, Kevin Keegan's attack included two players who disappeared from the scene long before Eriksson's salvage operation secured a place in the finals.

The two unfortunates who faced Germany in October 2000 - Keegan's last match as manager - were Nicky Barmby and Andy Cole and it's quite possible that a similar fate could befall those now looking forward optimistically to the finals in 2006.

World Cup teams tends to evolve during the qualifying tournaments. Only four of the team that lost 1-0 to the Germans that day survived to play any significant role in the finals in Japan two years later.

How many of Eriksson's team on duty tomorrow night will line up for the opening game in Germany, assuming England qualify?

Chelsea centre-half John Terry, having played in 11 of England's last 14 games, has every right to believe that a first-team place in Eriksson's team is now his.

Similarly, Tottenham's Ledley King, an impressive figure in the 2-1 defeat by France in Portugal, could justifiably claim to be Terry's defensive partner.

But both know that, once available, Sol Campbell, recovering from injury, and Rio Ferdinand, serving an eight-month suspension, will be pushing hard to regain their places in the heart of the England defence. For all his problems in other areas of the team, Eriksson appears to be blessed with an abundance of quality strikers and centrebacks.

But a sense of an opportunity lost in Euro 2004 burns among all of them. The fact is, once again, they were not good enough to progress beyond the quarter-finals and, at this early stage, there is little to suggest the gap can be closed in the two years between now and the finals in Germany. The goalkeeping situation, for instance, remains a serious worry for Eriksson. David James is the first choice because there is no other English goalkeeper with the necessary experience.

He's just about good enough but, at 34, would be seriously vulnerable if Paul Robinson enjoyed a good season at Tottenham and showed he was ready for international football.

More than a decade after John Barnes played his last game for England, there is still no naturally leftfooted player to fill that problematic wide role in England's midfield.

These are problems Eriksson will continue to address as England's latest World Cup campaign unfolds in Group Six against Austria, Poland, Azerbaijan, Wales and Northern Ireland. The winners will qualify for the finals while the runners-up will go into a play-off and, with that in mind, it is inconceivable that Eriksson's men should fail to negotiate a route to Germany.

Austria, a disaster in the European Championship qualifying tournament and recently beaten 3-1 by Germany in a friendly, are nothing like as good as the side that beat England 4-3 in a wonderful match the last time I saw these teams play here in 1979.

This time I expect England to kick-start their World Cup bid with a win because nothing less will satisfy those seeking a reason to oust Eriksson.

Austria v England

Vienna, 7.30pm World Cup Qualifying Group Six (Live on Sky Sports 1)