SVEN-Goran Eriksson has urged Newcastle's supporters not to forget the good times when Kieron Dyer runs out at St James' Park this evening.

The Newcastle midfielder will start amongst the substitutes as England take on Ukraine in their only friendly outing before next month's crucial World Cup qualifiers in Austria and Poland.

But, with Eriksson committed to making a raft of substitutions at the interval, the England boss has confirmed that the under-fire midfielder will make an appearance at some stage.

Dyer is expected to receive a mixed reception from the home fans after an alleged altercation with Sir Bobby Robson saw him left out of the starting line-up for last weekend's 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough.

The 23-time international, who is known to be unhappy at Robson's unwillingness to play him in the centre of midfield, angered many Newcastle supporters during a disinterested display after being brought off the bench at the Riverside.

His unwillingness to take over the captain's armband from Alan Shearer was also interpreted as a snub to the club who paid £6m to sign him from Ipswich in July 1999.

Tonight will mark his first public display since and, while Eriksson insists he has not kept Dyer out of the starting line-up in order to protect him, he has told Newcastle's fans to remember everything the 25-year-old has done during his five years at the club.

"I'm not afraid of how the crowd will react to him," said Eriksson, who could ironically benefit as the focus of attention is switched away from how he is received following his affair with FA employee Faria Alam. "I've got to admit that I haven't been following the story this week.

"I don't know how many years Kieron Dyer has played up here, but I just hope the fans don't forget about everything that he has done for Newcastle during that time.

"I can't remember a situation where I have ever protected a player from the reaction of a crowd and Kieron will get a chance against Ukraine."

Ironically, that chance is almost certain to come in a left midfield position Dyer is far from comfortable with.

"I would expect any player to play where I wanted them to," warned Eriksson and, despite last week's events, Dyer is unlikely to be so recalcitrant when the England boss gives him the nod tonight.

His exclusion from the starting line-up has worked in favour of team-mate Nicky Butt, as the former Manchester United midfielder will make his first start since March's friendly defeat in Sweden.

Butt missed the whole of Euro 2004 because of a knee injury and, with Frank Lampard having performed so impressively in Portugal, he looked to have slipped down the international pecking order.

But Eriksson will return to his favoured diamond formation tonight, with Steven Gerrard switching to the left of midfield and Butt assuming his preferred holding role.

"I've picked the four best midfielders I can find at the moment," said Eriksson. "And I would like to play them together.

"Nicky Butt is back and looking very fit. He played very well at the weekend and, as the sitting man, he's clever and gets into good positions. He keeps things simple which is very important.

"They are the four that I want to start with but, in the second half, I want to try something different as well."

Alan Smith is the only starter not to have been part of Eriksson's Euro 2004 squad, and eight of tonight's starting XI kicked off June's ill-fated Euro 2004 defeat to Portugal.

The summer tournament highlighted many of the same deficiencies that were evident in England's World Cup defeat to Brazil two years earlier.

Eriksson's side conceded possession far too cheaply, sat back at crucial moments, and failed to lift themselves when the situation demanded it most.

The same players will be back again when World Cup qualification begins in Vienna next month, but their boss insists it would be wrong to make wholesale changes despite two consecutive disappointments.

"It would be wrong to make ten or 11 changes because of what happened in the summer," said Eriksson. "If you look at the Brazil game in the World Cup and the Portugal game in Portugal, then the difference between the two sides was more or less nothing.

"But that's not to say that I won't make changes if the situation demands it. I don't pick players because I like them as people.

"I would drop players if they weren't playing well - that's my job. Nobody's undroppable. If I find a better player than David Beckham on the right-hand side then I will pick him. But find me one."

The same presumably applies to penalty takers, although Eriksson also confirmed that his captain would continue to take England's spot-kicks despite missing his last three.

"David will continue taking the penalties," he said, before adding: "At least for now.

"Hopefully he will score with the next one. I don't think he has any major problems with them - he's just been unlucky with his left foot."