Football: Wembley Trip Can Be Scotland Watershed - Strachan

LONDON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Nov, 2016 ) : Scotland manager Gordon Strachan believes Friday's World Cup qualifier against old foes England at Wembley represents a perfect opportunity for his side to reverse their spiralling fortunes.

Scotland have not reached a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup and were the only team from the British Isles not to qualify for this year's European Championship in France. They have made a slow start to the current campaign, thrashing minnows Malta but then drawing 1-1 at home to Lithuania and losing 3-0 in Slovakia, leaving them three points adrift of group leaders England.

"We've not been too pleased with the last two performances, that's for sure," Strachan told reporters at Thursday's pre-game press conference. "Any game that we played after the last two games, we'd be desperate to try and catch up and make up ground again, because we lost ground in the last two games.

"This game is a chance to catch up. It's a chance to make ourselves feel better about ourselves. "Because over the years we've felt decent about ourselves, so it's getting back to that level." Strachan said striker Steven Fletcher and centre-back Gordon Greer, both of whom were injury doubts, had returned to training on Wednesday, leaving him with a fully fit squad.

Celtic captain Scott Brown has overcome a dead leg and could start, having reversed his retirement from international football. Friday's game will be the first competitive fixture between England and Scotland since November 1999, when the Scots won 1-0 at Wembley but fell 2-1 on aggregate in a Euro 2000 qualifying play-off.

Scotland lost 3-2 on their last trip to Wembley in an entertaining August 2013 friendly and captain Darren Fletcher feels the expectations of the home crowd could work in the visitors' favour.