SVEN-Goran Eriksson will appeal for calm and cool heads from his players in the build-up to tonight's vital World Cup qualifying tie against Germany.

Eriksson appreciates that his team need to produce a "near-perfect" display in Munich to keep alive their hopes of automatic qualification for the World Cup finals.

However, he is determined to ensure that his young team, with an anticipated average age of just 25, retain their composure ahead of what will be, for some of them, the biggest game of their careers so far.

Reassessed

Eriksson declared: "If you talk, read or listen too much before big games, you are tired by the time of the match.

"You should try to take it as a normal game. The motivation and will in all of the players to do well and win is enormous, so you don't need to stretch that up. It's already up there.

"You have to be professional. You can't go running around shouting or being nervous because we are playing Germany. That hopefully gives the player a certain kind of calm."

Eriksson is confident that David Beckham will be able to start although his groin injury was being reassessed this morning to ensure there was no overnight reaction and he will not be given a painkilling injection.

Steve McManaman, who is set to lose out on the left flank to Nicky Barmby while Emile Heskey is favourite to partner Michael Owen up front, is on standby.

But Eriksson is looking to name Beckham in a side with five players aged 23 or under - Heskey, Owen, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole - while David Seaman, at 37, will be the only thirtysomething.

Despite the youthful nature of the likely team, the England coach nevertheless believes they will be able to cope with the occasion, pressure and frenzied atmosphere surrounding tonight's game.

"I'm not afraid of that as even if we have a very young team, we have a lot of experienced players," he said with reference to their Champions League and UEFA Cup grounding.

Eriksson will also pass on his last tactical instructions, with the squad having worked on how best to nullify the threat of Sebastian Deisler, the 21-year-old who should fill the playmaker's role in the absence of Mehmet Scholl.

That responsibility should fall mainly to Gerrard, although Ferdinand and Sol Campbell must also be aware of Deisler's movement.

The England coach nevertheless believes that his side are still capable of inflicting Germany's first home defeat in a World Cup qualifier

"This is the biggest and most difficult game since we started in February, but I hope there will be more important games in June next year," said Eriksson.

"If you want to beat Germany away, you must do everything more or less perfect, you can't make any mistakes and you must be lucky.

"But I know we can do it as we have a very good team."