GEORGE BURLEY can remember the day he melted anonymously into a crowd which was held spellbound by Diego Maradona. The pair of them were at the same match in Boca Juniors' throbbing and atmospheric stadium in Buenos Aires, nicknamed "The Chocolate Box", but in every other respect they were worlds apart. No-one was paying any attention to Burley. All eyes were on the round wee figure who was lording it from his private box overlooking the centre circle.

"He had a scarf which he was waving above his head as the fans were chanting Maradona, Maradona'," said Burley. "It was fabulous to see. They have fantastic fans who never stop singing and he has been brought up in that environment. He's a God in Argentina. They see him as someone who can lift the country to maybe win the World Cup again."

It was during Burley's five months out of football six years ago, between being sacked as Ipswich manager and later joining Derby County, that he fulfilled a personal ambition by taking himself off to Buenos Aires to soak in the sights and sounds of Argentine football. He saw Maradona, the Boca supporter par excellence, in his pomp.

On Wednesday their paths will cross again. There won't be the same level of adulation, as such, but Maradona will be swamped once more as 450 journalists descend on Hampden for his first match as national manager.

Maradona is too flamboyant, too impulsive, too outspoken and too erratic to seem like obvious management material, but his life is a riot so it should be fun to see how it all begins on Wednesday.

Burley was asked whether there was a risk of Scotland being "chewed up" and marginalised by a game which seems to be only about the man in charge of the oppostion. He sidestepped that one but spoke in measured, sober tones about what the fixture will mean to himself and Scotland. It has been dismissed by some as a "meaningless" friendly, which is untrue. It is the last fixture before the World Cup trip to Holland at the end of March. A positive result would generate a fine sense of momentum ahead of encountering the Dutch. A heavy defeat, which even Burley admitted was a possibility, would be damaging.

"They could come here and be absolutely magnificent and beat us easily," he said in a very un-Burleyseque moment of borderline negativity.

Tommorrow is the first anniversary of Barry Ferguson's last Scotland appearance and barring a late withdrawal he will turn out for his 44th cap and his first under Burley.

Similarly Alan Hutton will feature, having previously appeared only in the manager's opening game against Croatia eight months ago. These are the issues of significance for Burley amid the broader hubbub surrounding Maradona.

Burley has an ongoing dialogue with Rangers manager Walter Smith and promised to be sensible in his use of the club's captain, Ferguson, who is easing his way back after ankle surgery and a five-month lay-off.

Celtic, too, will be watchful of how their players are used given that manager Gordon Strachan has six men in the squad and a Champions League tie away to Aalborg six days later.

"If anyone has a knock or doesn't look right we won't risk them in a friendly. I am in contact with Gordon and Walter. If anyone has a problem which will affect them for the following Saturday we will take a look at that.

"In Barry's case it's great to have him in the squad. He's not 100% fit at the moment but we'll see how he goes in the next few days. A lot of it is down to the player. I wouldn't want to push Barry out there if he didn't think he could do the country justice. It's a big game and international football is a step up from club football."

Craig Gordon has started all six of Burley's matches so far but is likely to miss this one because of a chipped ankle bone which continues to keep him out of the Sunderland side. Allan McGregor will deputise if necessary. "We know we're against a world class side so whichever goalkeeper we have we know he's going to be well worked," said Burley. "But we will be picking an attacking team, we will be positive.

"It's a big game for us. With friendlies it's nice to bring top teams here. You could bring someone easier and maybe beat them, but for the punters and the players you need a challenge and that's what this is. I'm going to put out a positive team and I've got a good squad of players. We will give them a good game.

"We are not going to Holland with fear and if we can get a good performance against Argentina that will give us confidence. Argentina are world class, Holland are world class, but it's important the players don't go in with any fear."

Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez of Manchester United are a pair of small, firecracker forwards who will be a handful for Scotland's probable back four of Hutton, Gary Caldwell, Stephen McManus and Gary Naysmith. Scotland must hope that they are not on the defensive throughout because there is an issue to address over the team's lack of goals. They have failed to score in half of Burley's games, managing only four in six matches.

"We have had a lot of possession without hurting teams at times. So can we keep possession and create more of a threat? We haven't scored enough goals so that's an area where we have to be better. But we are playing strong teams who make it difficult."

Argentina will represent Burley's last active duty of the year. He is gradually leaving his imprint on the international scene. On Wednesday a sports scientist from St Andrews University will join his backroom team. Brian Ewing has previously worked for the SFA at under-16 and under-17 level and Burley believes he will be equally beneficial for the senior players.

"It's an area which I think is important to develop. Warm-ups, warm-downs, the dietary side. I think every SPL club has a sports scientist and I had one 12 years ago at Ipswich. Most of the players are used to sports scientists but it's good to have one ourselves."

Ewing will advise the players on their diet during Scotland gatherings, including their traditional squad night out at a curry restaurant.

Walter Smith introduced the practice and Alex McLeish continued it.

"I don't eat curries... if I go there I'll have steak," said Burley. "We have Italian food, Chinese food. A one-off doesn't do them any harm as long as the players are wary and they have someone to turn to for advice."

But the meals can wait. First he must deal with the man he last saw in The Chocolate Box.