By Stefano Blin
LONDON (Sportserver) - David Beckham may not be flavor of the month at Old Trafford right now, but Kevin Keegan is urging the flamboyant star to step forward as England's playmaker when it takes on Argentina at Wembley on Wednesday.
Beckham was left out of the United team which won 1-0 at Leeds on Sunday following reports of a training ground bust-up with boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
But Beckham is likely to be one of the first names on Keegan's team sheet for the friendly match against the South Americans and could be asked to pull the strings in central midfield rather than provide the crosses on the right wing.
It will be the flamboyant star's first clash with Argentina since his red card shame of the 1998 World Cup finals in France. Beckham was playing in central midfield for former England manager Glenn Hoddle in that game, but was sent off for kicking midfielder Diego Simeone after the Argentinian had clattered into him from behind.
England held Argentina to a 2-2 draw even without the United star but eventually lost the tie in a penalty shoot-out. And the current England boss may be ready to follow Hoddle's example by thrusting Beckham into the heat of another midfield face-off with Simeone.
"I'd like to look at David Beckham in a central role," said Keegan.
"If he's on the right and the game doesn't go our way, he can end up playing right-back, and that's a waste. I can't allow that to happen for the team, although he'll willingly do it. But I also need to look at someone else on the right."
Argentina is England's last opposition before Keegan names a provisional 35-man squad for the Euro 2000 championships this summer, but the former Newcastle boss says there is still time to try out new things.
"This is the last chance to try something, and I will, but it won't be mass experimentation," said Keegan.
"There will be a lot of square pegs in square holes, I promise you. I'd like to try a little experiment, see it comes off and win the game. Why think negatively? We might just drop a little gem in there and think 'Wow'. You don't know until you try things."
Keegan has called up Aston Villa defender Gareth Barry and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard into the squad but has overlooked many of the old guards.
The likes of Darren Anderton, Steve McManaman, Teddy Sheringham, Tim Sherwood and Paul Merson have all been left out with Keegan clearly keeping an eye out for younger players. Barry trained with the England squad during Hoddle's reign after breaking into the Villa first team at the age of 17 last season and has remained there ever since.
The under-21 international has been in outstanding form for his club in a back three alongside England teammate Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu.
Keegan said: "His defending has been very good and his concentration, which was not that good last year, is much better. His use of the ball and his calmness is what stands out for me."
Gerrard's performances have left a big impression on Keegan after he made a man-of-the-match debut for the under-21 side against Luxembourg at Reading in September.
"I've had him training with the senior squad before so it's not as if he will be coming in cold, and he looks a tremendous prospect," Keegan added. "I have watched him four times in the last six weeks and every time I have seen him he has been outstanding."
Keegan must also decide whether to start with Newcastle's Alan Shearer and Sunderland's Kevin Phillips up front, who between them have netted 39 goals in the Premiership this season.
Argentina striker Claudio Lopez is coach Marcelo Bielsa's main worry ahead of the match. Bielsa has lost Lazio defender Matias Almeyda to injury but has included Lopez in his squad even though the Valencia star has a throat infection.
His only other strikers are Gabriel Batistuta of Fiorentina and Hernan Crespo of Parma.
Argentina is set to field 10 of the team that started the last clash between the countries in the World Cup clash in Saint Etienne. But with the Copa Libertadores currently under way in South America, Bielsa will have to do without talents such as River Plate's teenage marksman Javier Solari, top scorer in the Argentinian league. Playmaker Marcelo Gallardo of Monaco is also unavailable through injury.
