SVEN-GORAN Eriksson was last night deliberating a Euro 2004 reprieve for Frank Lampard as he insisted he had never once considered dropping Paul Scholes from the England side.

Lampard had feared being left on the sidelines after the England coach announced that he would be picking his first-choice line-up for tonight's friendly against Japan in Manchester.

Indeed, having confirmed it would also be the side to face France in the opening game of the Euro 2004 finals, the England coach also gave every indication that he would keep faith with Nicky Butt.

''I will start with what I think is the beginning XI. That will hopefully work out for us, but the others will have two weeks to show me that I'm wrong,'' he confirmed.

Butt, after all, has been a regular part of Eriksson's plans for some time, starting all but the opening group game at the World Cup, as well as the key qualifier in Turkey.

However, when the Swede walked out for England's training session at the City of Manchester Stadium yesterday, just a few hours later, he was deep in conversation with Scholes, Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

Indeed, when the session began in earnest, Lampard was playing alongside Gerrard, Scholes and David Beckham, with Butt among the 'reserves'.

Eriksson does not normally ascribe to the Glenn Hoddle school of misinformation, but something did not quite add up.

For while Lampard certainly deserves his chance after an excellent season, Eriksson had just spent his entire Press conference stressing the need for balance in his side.

''It's important to have midfielders who are able to score goals, but it's also important that the organisation is right,'' he insisted.

''If not, then the whole team will suffer. Balance is always the key word.''

While Lampard is at his most comfortable in an attacking midfield role, the Swede made it clear that Scholes was 'untouchable' despite not scoring for his country in 25 internationals.

Scholes has admitted that he could not complain if Lampard, who was runner-up in the player of the season poll, was picked ahead of him. But that is simply not on the agenda.

Eriksson maintained: ''I must say that from the moment I came to this country up to this point, I have never thought about leaving Paul Scholes out.

''I know that he hasn't scored goals for a long while but he is not only a goalscorer. He's a brilliant footballer and so far he's been working very well for us.

''I heard what he said (about the risk of being dropped) and I think it shows, once again, that he's an extremely big professional.

''I have never been worried about him. He will score again sooner or later. Let's just hope it is sooner. I will talk to him to see if that's a problem but I don't think it is.''

With that switch ruled out, how about moving Gerrard into central midfield, where he often plays for Liverpool, albeit with Dietmar Hamann providing the more defensive shield alongside him?

''Especially in the future, Steven Gerrard might be the best sitting midfielder,'' revealed Eriksson.

''But if you are in that position 100 per cent, then you seldom go forward and, when Steven Gerrard goes forward, it's a big threat for opponents.''

And so it was with Lampard as the holding midfielder, picked ahead of Butt, that England trained yesterday. On form alone, that would certainly make sense, yet Butt surely offers a better defensive shield, especially when confronted by the likes of Zinedine Zidane in Lisbon.

''You know that Zidane will come very often behind two strikers and, if we don't defend well there, then we are in big trouble,'' accepted Eriksson.