Finland go into their match with Serbia knowing ful well they can almost ensure a place in the Finals if they beat their opponents. However it is not going to be easy for the Finns at the Olympiastadion in Helsinki simply because the squad lacks match practice and they have been plagued by injuries of late. Their last result was a 1-0 win against Armenia.

Talismanic skipper Jari Litmanen has been hit with injuries for much of the season and has not played at all for his Swedish club Malmo FC. Litmanen is not expected to be fit for the Serbia clash, but he could very well be on the field when the Finns clash with Belgium on June 6. The Serbia match is important for Finland because three teams are tied on second spot in Group A.

Poland appear to be well on their way to the finals with 16 points from seven games, but Portugal, Finland and Serbia are tied at 11 points each. One advantage for the Finns is that most of their remaining matches are on home soil, but that is hardly any comfort when injuries strike key players.

Finland coach Roy Hodgson is worried about a lack of match practice in his young squad. "What I do know, is that I would be very disappointed if the players who are here - whether they have played every game, some games or have been on the bench - are not desperate to face Serbia," he said.

Serbia on the other hand come into the game equally confident having held Portugal to a 1-1 draw at home. Coach Javier Clemente has named four new players for the qualifier against Finland. FC Dinamo Kyiv defender Marjan Marković and Trabzonspor defender Milan Stepanov are missing through injuries and Clemente admitted the team would miss their services.

"The match in Helsinki will be very hard for us," said Clemente. "Finland are a strong and competitive team.”

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