Burley: Fleck is in Scotland frame

03 March 2009 08:11
Burley revealed recently that the talented 17-year-old was in his thoughts for the crucial Group Nine match in Amsterdam on March 28. But plans to fast-track the Ibrox youngster into the senior squad were criticised by Rangers and Scotland skipper Barry Ferguson, who branded plans to cap Fleck "crazy." But Burley is unperturbed by the concerns of his captain and may still include Fleck for what looks set to be a massive game for the Scots. "You don't rule out anybody," he said. "You look and see who is playing exceptionally well, who is ready to push for a place. "Whether you are 17 or 38, I wouldn't rule anybody out. You've got to consider all the factors for someone to get into a squad." Another player Burley is refusing to rule out is Alan Hutton. The Tottenham full-back appeared to have little hope of making the trip to Holland after undergoing surgery on a fractured foot, which has kept him out of action for three months. However, Hutton is aiming to make his comeback in time to force his way into contention for the meeting with the group leaders. "We haven't ruled him out," Burley said. "I spoke to Alan two or three weeks ago and he was confident he was going to be back in full training in the next couple of weeks. "I think he has started now. It's two weeks before I announce the squad so we haven't ruled him out and we will keep our options open." Burley will also monitor the fitness of a couple of other players before settling on his squad. He added: "James McFadden is, of course, going to be out. "Other players, like Shaun Maloney and Barry Robson, have been injured of late. "So we will be keeping a close eye on all these players before we pick the squad." Meanwhile, Burley has no concerns about referee Laurent Duhamel officiating the clash with Holland - despite him being banned from top-flight matches in France. Duhamel has been told to take a break from football by his own association before returning at lower league level after failing to send off two Paris Saint-Germain players, who will now be punished retrospectively. Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith may consider asking FIFA for a different referee but Burley has no problem with Duhamel taking charge of the match. "The referee position will look after itself," he said. "FIFA will decide who will be the referee and we can't influence it. "I'm sure whoever is in charge will perform to the best of his ability. We are certainly not worrying about it. "Personally, I don't know him. I'm sure he is a top-class referee and we are just looking forward to the game. "I'm sure FIFA and the refereeing committee, whoever selects the referees, will take everything into consideration and choose the right one from there."

Source: Team_Talk