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Scotland v England: Gordon Strachan desperate to record Scotland's first home win over rivals since 1985

Gordon Strachan Scotland
Image: Gordon Strachan: Scotland boss hell-bent on victory over oldest rivals

Scotland coach Gordon Strachan insists he is desperate to record a first home win over England since 1985 in Tuesday night's friendly at Celtic Park.

Strachan's men saw off the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in their European Qualifier on Friday in front of a packed Parkhead crowd.

The hosts are likely to ring the changes from the starting line-up for the visit of England with Celtic's Craig Gordon set to start in goal for the first time in four years, West Brom midfielder James Morrison fit again and Derby's Chris Martin pushing for a start up front. Rangers midfielder Lewis Macleod, 20, is likely to make his senior debut.

I would love to give everybody the experience of playing in the game one way or another.
Gordon Strachan

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher missed training on Monday, as he was not feeling well, and Strachan said: "We've done some work on Saturday, we had Sunday off to relax our minds and bodies, and we put on training today to see what we could do with them.

Intensive

"We did an intensive warm-up and I thought, 'this is as intense as the first day of pre-season'. So many players want to play on Tuesday night. There's one or two lumps, but it hasn't affected anyone, it was kind of rub it and get on with it.

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"I would love to give everybody the experience of playing in the game one way or another. I want to win the game as well, we have had to try and balance that and that is what we will think about in the next couple of hours.

"Everybody who is playing are competitors, everyone wants to compete and make it as difficult for the other team to win as possible, it will be the same on the other side."  

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The oldest international fixture in world football was reprised in August 2013, for the first time in 14 years, with England winning 3-2 at Wembley.

Strachan is desperate to gain revenge and retain the feelgood factor ahead of the return to European Qualifier action in March next year.

He added: "On Friday, you had two teams standing toe to toe. Fortunately we had a little bit of magic on our side that allowed us to win. It'll be as intense tomorrow as well. I think the England players will enjoy it, the atmosphere, as we did on Friday.

It'll be as intense tomorrow as it was last Friday. I think the England players will enjoy the atmosphere as we did.
Gordon Strachan

"We need to keep up the standard, you can only play it if the public want it. They enjoyed the last game, not just the football, everyone in London enjoyed the atmosphere. Let's produce another game of football, the players like it that is for sure."

But the former Celtic, Middlesbrough, Coventry and Southampton manager was quick to dismiss suggestions his team had been over-zealous and physical in the defeat of the Irish.

Physical

He said: "On Friday it was physical but fair. Let's make that correct. I think people thought it was some kind of bloodbath, it was nothing like that. The thing was it was people going toe to toe. Respecting each other. 

"There's a big difference between that and a bloodbath, which we've seen many times over the years. It was nothing like that.

"It was played in the right manner where nobody could come off thinking 'I didn't give it my best'. When you have that, you have people coming off with bumps and bruises. As long as they're fair challenges you have to deal with that."

Watch Scotland v England on Sky Sports 1HD from 7pm on Tuesday

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