Scotland v England: Boss Gordon Strachan insists his players are ready

Head coach Gordon Strachan says his Scotland players are "physically and mentally" ready for their World Cup qualifier against England at Hampden.

Strachan's side entertain Gareth Southgate's charges in World Cup qualifying Group F on Saturday.

And the boss believes his men are ready to reignite their qualifying campaign.

"The enthusiasm the players have had and the time they've put in, they're ready for the game, physically and mentally," said Strachan.

The Scots lost 3-0 to England at Wembley in October, but Strachan is convinced his side are well placed to avoid a repeat.

"We have real assets in our team and real assets as a group," said the Scotland boss, whose side are six points adrift of leaders England in the group.

"It's going to be well used tomorrow, we've got to use what we're good at.

"What we have in our group is enthusiasm, fitness and determination, so we must use that. Within that, we must relax when we have the ball, have no fear when we have the ball."

England and Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane goes into the match in fine form, having finished as the Premier League's top scorer in the last two seasons.

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And Strachan reckons Scotland's best chance of nullifying him will be to dominate possession.

"I've been a big fan of Harry Kane for a long time," he said. "I'm sure that Harry Kane has a lot of confidence in himself, which he should have.

"If you keep the ball more than them, that's one way of doing it. If you have the ball at the other end then their attacking players have less chance of scoring."

The match is huge for both sides, but Strachan revealed he has no inspiring team talk planned.

"It's something you don't plan in advance, you feel it," he said.

"You feel the atmosphere and you have to talk it from there, so there's no planned Churchillian speech in the back of my mind at the moment, something kind of materialises.

"Alex Ferguson, I'm sure, never planned some of these team talks well in advance. I'm convinced he never.

"In the modern game, that 'get into them' theory, which a lot of people in Scotland are desperate for us to do when I meet them, died with the back-pass rule, tackling from behind, better pitches," said Strachan.

"That weapon Scotland had years ago, when 'get into them' was well and truly used, is not used so much now because you have to think your way through games."