Football: Wright's chance to exploit England's striking losses: Phil Shaw looks at Graham Taylor's narrowing options

GRAHAM TAYLOR'S striking options for England's World Cup qualifier against San Marino on 17 February narrowed further yesterday, making Ian Wright virtually certain to start the match despite his disciplinary problems and failure to score for the national side.

With confirmation that David Hirst had joined the casualty list, after sustaining a thigh injury during Sheffield Wednesday's Coca-Cola Cup draw at Ipswich, the England manager's misgivings over Wright's three-match suspension and the temperamental flaws which provoked it may now be overtaken by relief. The Arsenal man's enforced inactivity at least makes him less likely to sustain injury.

The misfortune of Hirst, who missed six weeks earlier this season with a broken ankle and will probably be out for a month, could work to the advantage of another Sheffield player, United's Brian Deane, who won his two caps against New Zealand in 1991. The alternatives are dropping like flies.

Blackburn's Alan Shearer, who has partnered Wright since the retirement of Gary Lineker, is Taylor's first-choice forward. However, he may not have recovered from knee surgery in time to face San Marino. Les Ferdinand, of Queen's Park Rangers, back-up striker against Turkey in November, also faces a race against the clock because of groin-muscle problems.

Dalian Atkinson's pace and spectacular goals for Aston Villa might have earned him a place, but he too is struggling against injury. Likewise the predatory Mark Robins, of Norwich, who once hit five in an Under-21 international.

The bottom line is that Taylor is likely to tackle San Marino's hotch-potch of amateurs and Italian part-timers - against whom England need a substantial haul to improve their goal-difference in Group Two - without a single forward who has scored for his country.

Deane has made a timely return to club form with hat-tricks in successive appearances. If Taylor decides against pairing him with Wright, he might be tempted to deploy John Barnes or Paul Merson in a central role. However, with Paul Gascoigne worryingly short of match practice for Lazio, and David Platt recuperating from an operation at Juventus, he is likely to need them in midfield.

That would leave Arsenal's Alan Smith, 13 caps and two goals for England, who has been less than prolific this season; Mark Hateley, who has proved his enduring worth as a target man with Rangers in Europe, but was discarded by Taylor last year after being recalled in Czechoslovakia from a four-year absence; plus David White, unimpressive up front against Spain and now playing in midfield for Manchester City, and an appealing outsider, Ipswich's pacy Chris Kiwomya.

Taylor will no doubt be monitoring their form - and fitness - in the coming month, though in one respect he may be counting his blessings. England could hardly have wished for weaker opposition than the Sammarinese, who conceded 33 goals in eight group matches during European Championship qualifying.

Kevin Keegan, the Newcastle United manager, yesterday failed to buy Andrew Cole, Bristol City's striker, for pounds 1.3m. Les Kew, City's chairman, made it clear that he intends keeping hold of Cole who moved to Ashton Gate for pounds 500,000 from Arsenal last summer.

Leicester, West Bromwich Albion and Port Vale are in competition for David Speedie, who is surplus to requirements at Southampton. Speedie wants a club closer to his home in the Midlands and last week pulled out of a pounds 250,000 move to Portsmouth. He completes a loan spell with Birmingham this week, but they are not likely to join the bidding.

Santamaria 'killed by Eta', page 10