Football:: Scotland, Wales and the two Irelands are also in World Cup action on Wednesday. Guy Hodgson looks at four key players

Alan McDonald

Northern Ireland v Spain

WITNESSES to Spain's demolition of England's pedestrian defence last month will be aware of the examination the Irish back four is likely to face in Belfast. Particularly as Javier Clemente's team have since been held to an insipid goalless draw by Latvia which makes a win on Wednesday more important.

In Santander Spain carved through England's rearguard by clever inter-passing and running off the ball, placing an emphasis on defenders who can tackle but also have the nous to know when not to dive in. QPR's , the Irish captain, will be the role-model, illustrating that anticipation is as important as perspiration.

McDonald, 29 tomorrow, had the misfortune to arrive in an international team past its best although he did make it to the World Cup finals in 1986. 'It was not easy for him,' Billy Bingham, the Irish manager, said, 'because he had to perform with a side that was going through a transition. We'd had more success in one decade than we'd had in the previous seven so it was hard to adapt to more difficult times.

'He has always been a big personality, big in personality as well as stature. He's very thoughtful, very enthusiastic and a good leader. His desire to win is a marvellous example. He's a terrific header, a frightening tackler and a good reader of the game.'

Northern Ireland are improving, as their 3-0 win over Albania last month illustrated, but against

Spain McDonald will almost certainly need all his qualities.

Gary Speed

Cyprus v Wales

IT IS the dragon's soft underbelly. For years Wales have been blessed with strikers of international quality yet have been singularly unsuccessful in uncovering players to provide the likes of Ron Davies, John Toshack, Ian Rush and Dean Saunders with the passes to maximise their talents.

Hope is stirring in the Principality, however, that Wales may be on the verge of the best midfield since the World Cup team of 1958. Ryan Giggs is an integral part in the upsurge of optimisim, of course, but so is Gary Speed, whose role in feeding the precocious Manchester United winger as well as his front men is arguably of even greater significance.

'He's one of the brightest midfield prospects that Wales has produced in 30 years,' Terry Yorath said. 'He can score goals and his ability on the ground, passing-wise, is superb.'

Speed, 23, is naturally left-footed but his talent is adaptable enough for him to have appeared as striker, winger, full-back and sweeper for his club, although he currently occupies his preferred position, central midfield. For Wales, too, he has had a versatile career, playing at left-back to counter Ruud Gullitt on one occasion, but against Cyprus he will almost certainly assume a more central role as the Welsh attempt to build on the 6-0 rout of the Faroe Islands last month.

After beginning the World Cup qualification process by losing 5-1 to Romania, Wales require Speed to assert himself in his natural role.

NIALL QUINN

Denmark v Republic of Ireland

THE REACTION among Arsenal supporters when Niall Quinn left to go to Manchester City was one of amazement. Not over his leaving - few were unhappy to see the back of a player used as a byword for clumsiness - but over the pounds 800,000 fee. 'It was a steal,' they concurred, fingering their manager George Graham as the man in the hooped shirt and mask.

Almost three years after his departure the robbery verdict lingers, except it is City who believe they made off with the loot. 'Even pounds 5m would not persuade us to part with Quinn,' Peter Swales, the City chairman said this summer. 'It would put the club back two years.'

It is easy to see why. City's players may have a dozen options coached into them in training, but the first 10 must be to aim the ball at the 6ft 4in beanpole who leads their attack. Quinn scores goals (36 in 82 League matches before this season) but he also creates dozens of others for David White et al. 'He is,' Geoff Twentyman, the Bristol Rovers centre back who marked him on Wednesday said, 'the ideal target man. Tall, strong and very brave.'

For the Republic his bravura performances have been in concert with John Aldridge, a partnership that is becoming fruitful after initial problems. Quinn is the target in the Irish aerial bombardment and one the Danes, who have performed lamentably since winning the European Championship, will be anxious to make inaccessible. As to how, that, as another Dane would say, is the question.

Gary McAllister

Scotland v Portugal

AN INSISTENT doubt about Leeds' championship credentials last year was that an injury to Gordon Strachan would rip the creative heart out of the team. When the problem duly arrived, however, Gary McAllister had already supplanted his captain as the team's principal playmaker.

The attention may have been on Strachan, Eric Cantona and Lee Chapman last spring, but the one consistent element in what at times was a fairly ragged run-in was McAllister. Not only for his passing - a science in which only Ray Wilkins is his peer in the Premier League - but for his leadership by example. Barely a Leeds goal was scored without McAllister playing an important part in it.

Whether he can fully extend his elegant influence to international football is still under debate as his relatively meagre total of 19 caps at the age of 27 testifies. 'Gary is the type of player we want to build around,' the Scotland manager Andy Roxburgh says. 'We require people with a lot to offer in terms of technique. Gary has that quality.'

He had the quality too at Leicester City but it needed a move to Elland Road for it to mature fully. Scotland, who opened their World Cup qualifying campaign by losing 3-1 to the Swiss, urgently require a win over the Portuguese on Wednesday. The onus will be on the creative players, McAllister and Paul McStay, to contrive openings for Ally McCoist. Scotland will hope McAllister takes to the load as readily as he did at Leeds.

(Photograph omitted)