Campbell offers happy homecoming for Eriksson

There must have been times over the last few days when Sven Goran Eriksson feared the welcoming committee to greet him on his return from Bratislava would consist of Nancy Dell'Olio with a borrowed rolling pin and Geoff Thompson, the FA chairman, with a P45.

Instead Eriksson arrived in Southampton yesterday to be greeted by the encouraging sight of Sol Campbell. The Arsenal defender missed Saturday's European Championship opener in Slovakia with gastroenteritis. Having come through yesterday afternoon's training session, it is expected he will complete his recovery in time for Wednesday's tie against Macedonia at St Mary's.

More good news for Eriksson, together with the anodyne nature of Ulrika Jonsson's 'revelations', was that despite the heavy pitch and Slovakia's forceful tackling his team had come through Saturday's match unscathed. Not so his ill-conceived starting formation. Given the different challenge Eriksson was always likely to consider a more attacking framework, now he is sure to do so.

The England manager admitted the experiment of playing Nicky Butt and Steven Gerrard as the midfield axis, and Paul Scholes on the left, failed. The half-time switch to a diamond midfield was a success but, against a team which is expected to defend in depth, there may not be enough width. One option is to move Heskey to the left and bring in Alan Smith, another is to deploy the 4-3-3 formation which gained a draw in Amsterdam in February, with Smith, Kieron Dyer or Darius Vassell on the right, Heskey on the left, and Scholes supporting Owen from midfield. More likely the full-backs will be asked to provide the width and the diamond shape retained if not the same personnel.

Should Campbell be fit Eriksson will face another difficult decision. Should he pair him with the experienced Gareth Southgate, or, with a nod to the future, Jonathan Woodgate. Similarly, is this the match for David James to gain competitive experience? Or Paul Robinson to make a debut? Since Macedonia led Turkey on Saturday, and only lost after a goalkeeping error reminiscent of David Seaman's in Shizuoka, Eriksson is likely to be cautious.

Team selection aside, he is in a positive mood. So are the FA. At half-time on Saturday, with England losing, their fans fighting, and Jonsson's much-touted exposé about to hit the newstands, it was shaping up to be the worst night since the Dublin riot in 1995. By the end the fans had been contained and Eriksson's position strengthened. As Belguim's struggle to beat Andorra, and Switzerland's draw in Albania confirmed, few matches are easy. The failure of Italy and Sweden to win at home underlined the primacy of result over performance. Jonsson's damp squib even raised Eriksson hopes that "it might be the end of 'the other stuff'."

That is unlikely but he may get a breather. Which he needs. "I've had many tough football weeks in the last 20 years but my private life has never been as exposed as it has been in recent months," he said. "As long as I cope with it it is OK. I want to reach Portugal in 2004. It is very important for me not to involve my private life. You have to divide private and public life."

If that proves impossible the best insulation is winning. Of 12 competitive matches Eriksson's team have won eight and lost one, to Brazil.