Sven-Goran Eriksson has signalled his intention to hand Lee Bowyer his England debut as David Beckham's midfield replacement in today's friendly against Portugal.

Ever since the initial interest in the end of Bowyer and Woodgate's international exiles, the focus on the England squad has been on absent friends such as Paul Scholes and Beckham.

However, while the Leeds duo will no doubt have relished their own relatively low-key build-up to the game, the spotlight will return to them at Villa Park.

Eriksson has been deciding between Woodgate and Gareth Southgate, who is set to win his 50th England cap, as Rio Ferdinand's central defensive partner.

However, barring a late u-turn, he has already indicated his desire to hand Bowyer the spot vacated by Beckham.

Whether that is in the same right-sided position as the England captain remains to be seen, although Beckham and Steven Gerrard often interchanged roles on the pitch.

Now it is up to Bowyer and Woodgate, along with team-mate Alan Smith, who is in line to partner Michael Owen, to prove what they are capable of on the pitch after all the controversy following their high-profile court case.

''They are good footballers and have settled into the group very well, even if it has been a short time. There have been no problems at all,'' declared Eriksson.

''I have only spoken to them to tell them that I don't really have anything to tell them. I'm not their priest or their father, I am their football manager.

''The rules are the same for them as for anyone else.

''I said I would only judge them on what they do on the football pitch. Of course, if something very bad happens then you would have to consider that as well.

''But they will be considered just like all the other players by the coaching staff. As for the public, I don't know.''

Asked about Bowyer, Eriksson replied: ''It's a very good opportunity for him to show what he can do if he is going to play, and maybe he is going to play from the beginning.''

Eriksson's other main debates are over whether to select Woodgate or Southgate in defence, and whether to use Emile Heskey up front or on the left flank.

If he does picks Heskey on the left side of midfield, where he has been employed by Liverpool several times this season, that opens up a vacancy for Smith to display his considerable promise.

The other left-sided options are Trevor Sinclair and David Dunn, while David James will start in goal and Danny Mills and Ashley Cole will be retained at full-back.

It is nevertheless Bowyer, who was cleared of all charges following an attack on a student, and Woodgate, who was found guilty of affray, who will surely take centre-stage.

They have spent two years and nine months in the international wilderness since their England suspensions were first imposed. Now it is their chance to make the most of the high-profile absences of others.

Danny Murphy has spelt out his determination to put World Cup despair behind him as he looks to stake his claim for a place in Eriksson's European Championship plans.

The Liverpool midfielder suffered a double setback in the summer, initially missing out on Eriksson's 23-man squad for Japan and Korea and then, after injuries gave him an 11th-hour opportunity, being forced to withdraw with a foot problem.

Murphy admitted that he initially ''went through a bad time'' as he tried to come to terms with missing out on playing on football's biggest stage.

But the former Crewe player soon removed the negative thoughts from his mind, won his battle to be fit for pre-season training and the start of the campaign with the Reds and has been a first-team regular.

Now, while the value of friendly internationals may be questioned in some quarters, for Murphy it is a big opportunity to re-establish his credentials before England take on Slovakia in the opening Euro qualifier next month