Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry is only keeping his England place warm for Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves, says former Three Lions star John Barnes.
Barnes said: "Gareth Barry has been England's most consistent player in the last three games, and so deserves to play against Russia, and I think he will be able to do that quite comfortably.
"But with all things being equal and everybody being fit, that role in the long term, I believe is Owen Hargreaves' role.
"Defensively against better opposition, he is probably better as a holding midfield player."
Shock return for Fletch
Darren Fletcher may make a surprise return from a fractured leg in Scotland's crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Georgia on Wednesday after being called into the national squad.
The 23-year-old midfielder hasn’t played since fracturing his leg in Scotland’s monumental 1-0 win over France last month, but his return – in whatever capacity – would be a major boost for Scots boss Alex McLeish after the withdrawal of injury victims Scott Brown and Alan Hutton.
McLeish told Sky Sports News: "Sir Alex says Darren will play next weekend for Manchester United, therefore he can play for Scotland. It's fantastic news. Whether we start him, we'll have to wait and see, but he's got a big chance of playing.
"The Scots are tantalisingly close to qualification for next summer's finals, and McLeish is well aware of the need for strong characters in what is a tricky away tie. "Darren is a big player," he said. "He's a United player and they exude an aura. To be fair, though, the squad already has that aura because of the results and performances we've had recently."
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