SCOTLAND SQUAD announcements are usually made approximately ten days before the international match in question, so there was something of a break with tradition this week when journalists were invited to Hampden to discuss an end-of-season friendly against the Czech Republic a full 23 days before the event. If it seemed like a proactive attempt by the SFA to justify the game's existence in the increasingly congested final days of the campaign, certain facts on the ground are likely to alter dramatically during the game's abnormally large gestation period.

There are some noticeable absentees already - Lee McCulloch and Allan McGregor were left out due to injury, Barry Ferguson and Scott Brown excused duty due to upcoming surgery, and David Weir and Graham Alexander left out to give those tired old bones a badly-needed rest - but even in the unlikely event of no further call-offs, the make-up of George Burley's squad is likely to be entirely different come Prague on Friday May 30 than it appears this morning.

In a matter of hours, for instance, it is distinctly probable that both halves of what has been Scotland's most reliable strike pairing in recent years, James McFadden and Kenny Miller, will be preparing for next season outside the Premiership.

Miller's Derby County have already been relegated and depending on what happens this afternoon McFadden's Birmingham City might not be far behind them.

Burley is a considerable politician, but all of his skills were required to reconcile his stated desire for players playing at the highest level possible with a refusal to acknowledge that a drop in the surroundings of both of those players could also lead to a drop in morale.

"It's about the quality of the player - not the team that they're playing for," Burley said. "That's the thing for me. Both of these players have shown at international level that they can compete with the best in Europe so I have got no fears in Miller and McFadden. They are top class international players and they've shown that over the years "I think James has shown that playing regularly for Birmingham and doing tremendously well in the Premiership. With Kenny, he's had a difficult season with Derby but has been playing regularly too and been one of their best players.

"So it doesn't worry me at all," he added. "I am confident in the ability of both of those boys. I think you want them to be playing in a higher league, playing in Europe and playing at the top of their game but that doesn't always happen. They want to be playing and I think that is quite important.

The Championship is a tough league and they'll have to perform well there to do well. Sometimes it can make you stronger, you've got to work harder and you've got to realise you are desperate to get back into that league. So it can have the reverse effect on players who are strong characters and are desperate to get back to that top league. But, as Scotland manager, I've got to look at my best players and choose my best players."

In any case, the news is hardly all negative. While Miller and McFadden head in one direction, others are moving onwards and upwards. In a squad in which 16 players are 26 or under - and five uncapped - West Brom's promotion as Championship champions last week allows Burley to officially regard James Morrison as a Premiership player again, victory against Portsmouth next week would allow Cardiff City duo Gavin Rae and Kevin McNaughton to look forward to a season representing England in the Uefa Cup, and uncapped Rangers players such as Kevin Thomson and Steven Whittaker will have a Uefa Cup final appearance under their belts in the next three days. Ross McCormack may or may not be in the Premiership with Wigan in a few weeks' time.

It would be a surprise if all five uncapped players did not feature at some stage, leaving Burley's main concern fitting them all in.

"James Morrison was fairly highly thought of at Middlesbrough and West Brom paid a lot of money for him," Burley said. "He's got a lot of ability, he can play left or right or through the middle, has good pace, and is a young boy who is progressing. He did well for West Brom all season, helped them get promoted and will be playing in the Premiership next season. So for a youngster like that I am pleased to add him to the squad. I spoke to Tony Mowbray a couple of times and he has a high opinion of him. He feels he's a clever player, intelligent, comfortable on the ball. Hopefully, he's one with a big future.

"I have seen Whittaker play at right back for Hibs but then I've seen him play for Rangers in quite a lot of other positions," Burley added. "He's very athletic, enthusiastic, with a good build. He's quick and, along with Thomson, is still progressing and has a lot more to come in the tank. Playing in European football has been terrific for him."

This new-found competition for places even extends to the goalkeeping situation, where David Marshall plays back up to Craig Gordon but may be given a chance to step out from the shadows after playing all season for Norwich, with Rangers' Neil Alexander on the standby list. "I don't think that Scotland have ever been so well off for goalkeepers," Burley said. "I think you're really talking about top class keepers here."

Like Scotland, the Czech Republic are in the throes of a transition - not that they have allowed their phasing out of the likes of retired Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky to affect them too much.

They retain a 100% European Championship qualification record from their four attempts to date, a 3-0 win in Munich allowing them to qualify for Austria and Switzerland from Group D ahead of Germany. One suspects the SFA would have significantly less trouble selling the fixture if Scotland had a major championships to prepare for.