Finland wait on star duo

Azerbaijan test
Muurinen presented his squad for the two upcoming qualifiers on Thursday and included both Niemi and Litmanen in his 20-man squad despite fears concerning their fitness.

Muurinen optimistic
The Finland coach, however, has no other injury worries and is looking forward to the two games. He said: "It is looking good for Niemi at the moment. He played in a reserve game on Tuesday and said that he did not suffer a reaction to his knee injury. Litmanen, meanwhile, is still a doubt. He is confident himself, but we have to follow the situation and make a decision nearer the game."

End on a high
Finland will meet Azerbaijan on 6 September in Baku and Wales in Cardiff four days later. The Finns have all but missed out on the chance to qualify for the finals as they trail group leaders Wales by six points with only two games remaining, but Muurinen still wants to end the qualification campaign on a high. "These matches are important to us," he said. "We try to take small steps forward all the time and we are still playing for a good position in the [FIFA] World Cup qualification draw."

Finland squad
Jääskeläinen, Kavén, Niemi, Hyypiä, Kuivasto, Pasanen, Reini, Saarinen, Tihinen, Forssell, Johansson, Kolkka, Kopteff, Kuqi, Litmanen, Nurmela, Riihilahti, Tainio, Valakari, Väyrynen.