After finding their route to UEFA EURO 2008 barred by Croatia, England have an early chance for revenge when they travel to Zagreb for an encounter that takes star billing on Matchday 2 of European qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

All the members of the continental elite got off to winning starts at the weekend with the exception of France, who saw their status further undermined by defeat to Austria, and must come up with a response when Serbia come calling on Wednesday.

There has been little to choose between the two sides in their five previous meetings, with both teams claiming a brace of wins and the other game ending in a draw. On this particular occasion, however, the pressure is firmly on Fabio Capello's men. England have been unconvincing in their recent friendly outings, and Saturday's narrow 2-0 win over Andorra did little to reassure their worried fans. And while defeat at this early stage would hardly put an end to their qualification hopes, it could have serious implications. Even so, despite an unbeaten record against the English as a player and coach, Slaven Bilic will be taking nothing for granted, especially with the pragmatic Capello lining up against him.

The other games
4-0 winners against Malta at the weekend, Portugal have the chance to confirm their status as Group 1 favourites and open up an early lead when they entertain Denmark, who were held to a goalless draw in Hungary in their first outing.

Latvia and Greece both won on Saturday to make the early running in Group 2. Israel and Switzerland played out a 2-2 draw, meanwhile, and need wins against Moldova and Luxembourg respectively if they are not to lose touch.

Czech Republic's new coach Petr Rada will attempt to continue Karel Bruckner's good work when he makes his competitive debut in an awkward trip to Northern Ireland. Neighbours Slovakia, the early pace-setters in Group 3, have an away day of their own in Slovenia.

After kicking off their Group 4 campaign with an emphatic 6-0 defeat of Liechtenstein, Germany, still deprived of Michael Ballack's services, should have a far tougher assignment when they travel to Finland. Russia, the team most likely to challenge the Germans, entertain Wales in their opening fixture.

Over in Group 5 Vicente del Bosque made a successful start to his tenure as Spain coach when the reigning European champions overcame Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0. And even without the injured David Silva and Fernando Torres, the men in red should have too much for Armenia. With a record of 35 wins, 17 draws and 47 defeats, Turkey will be aiming to stay in touch with the Spanish when they play their 100th FIFA World Cup qualifier at home to an improving Belgium side.

While England and Croatia battle it out in Zagreb, Group 6 rivals Ukraine will have an excellent chance to move to the top of the section when they take on Kazakhstan.

Lithuania and Austria face off in a surprise Group 7 summit meeting following respective shock wins over Romania and France. Those unexpected reverses have increased the pressure on Les Bleus boss Raymond Domenech and his Romanian counterpart Victor Piturca. Even without a host of injured first-choice players, among them Adrian Mutu, the Eastern Europeans should open their account against the Faroe Islands, while the French, who have yet to emerge from an extended transitional phase, play host to Serbia in a crucial encounter.

Italy's last-minute 2-1 win away to Group 8 rivals Cyprus came at a price. Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Gamberini and Fabio Grosso will all be missing with injury when they welcome Georgia, although the world champions should have little problem in pocketing the points.

Finally, in Group 9 Macedonia will be out to build on their narrow defeat of Scotland when they square off at home to the Netherlands in Bert van Marwijk's first competitive game in charge.

Player to watch
Having struggled to contain lanky Austrian striker Marc Janko on Saturday, France will have to find a solution to the problems Serbia's beanpole forward Nikola Zigic is sure to cause. The 27-year-old Valencia front man has a fine international record, scoring 13 goals in 30 appearances.

The stat
0 - The number of defeats Croatia have suffered at home in 30 FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship qualifiers. The Croats have won 21 of those games, drawing the other nine.

What they said
"Judge the team after Wednesday's game, because Croatia are ranked fifth in the world. Tonight's game and Wednesday's game will be two completely different animals." England midfielder Joe Cole, after Saturday's 2-0 win over Andorra.

Have your say
Can Russia mount a challenge to Germany in Group 4? Can Fabio Capello get England playing the way he wants? Should France be playing with two men up front? Click on ‘Add your comment' and give us your thoughts.

Theo Walcott may forever be remembered as the 17-year-old called up from nowhere to join England's 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ squad. But two years on, and with England facing a crucial qualifier against Croatia on Wednesday, he finally feels ready to make an impact on international football.

The Arsenal striker admits he was star-struck when Sven-Goran Eriksson made one of the most unexpected selections of all time by taking him to Germany, and many critics believe the decision hampered his progress. His selection, ahead of players such as Jermain Defoe, caused instant controversy which only intensified when England's little-boy-lost failed to play a single minute of football during the tournament.

Walcott was quickly jettisoned to the U-21s when Eriksson was replaced by Steve McClaren after the finals but now, under his third England manager, things are looking up. Fabio Capello produced his own selection shock by handing Walcott his first senior international start in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Andorra, preferring him to David Beckham.

And now the 19-year-old, used mostly on the wing these days by both club and country, is in contention to continue his belated comeback against Croatia in Zagreb on Wednesday - and has enough self-confidence to feel he deserves it.

Walcott said: "I have a lot of experience at England and Arsenal now. Obviously I have not played as much as I wanted to, but I deal with the pressure. I just play with no fear, and this match is not going to bother me at all. I will treat it like any other game. I will just concentrate on my performance - it is the only thing I can do.

"I have been here for a long time; well, it feels like that even though I am only 19! So I am just going to take every game as it comes and perform well. I give the England team a different aspect by getting behind defenders. There are some world-class players who can also play on the right wing, but I give them a different option. I am always trying to go behind defenders because the pace is there."

Walcott admits his early arrival into the international fold under Eriksson was a shock to the system, but he sees his experience in Germany in 2006 as something positive rather than negative. "I was star-struck at first," he remembers. "Only 17 and being at the World Cup. It was a brilliant experience for me - so for the next World Cup I will know what it's all about.

Learning the trade
"I am still learning my trade, my position and where I am going to play. But it has been a good start to the season at Arsenal this year, and I have played most of the games. The main thing Arsene Wenger told me was to be more aggressive on the pitch, win the ball back and get at defenders and not to have any fear. That's what I'm doing.

"I've always been a striker, but virtually every match I have played right wing for Arsenal this season, and it is starting to come naturally to me - I am starting to learn the position a bit more. With England in training I have been playing on the right, and that suggests I will play on the right in matches. Who knows, with more games for Arsenal I might be moved up front, but we will see."

Walcott certainly comes over as a confident young man these days, calmly and jovially dealing with questions in a press conference and deftly swerving the occasional curve-ball thrown by mischievous journalists. He has faced criticism over his own final ball at Arsenal this season, but believes experience and opportunity will turn him into a player to match even the most celebrated in the Premier League.

"Sometimes at the Emirates some people are negative about my final ball; sometimes it's not too bad. But I am learning and I do practise in training every day," he said. "I have had quite a few assists as well. The boss knows I'll do it. It is like Cristiano Ronaldo, he came to Manchester United in his first year, showed some brilliant tricks and he is 23 and the best player in the world now. I am not saying I will be like Ronaldo, I will be myself. I will take the positives out of my game."

If England can take the positives out of Walcott's game and make it count in Zagreb then Fabio Capello may finally have discovered a long-term replacement for David Beckham. Although even he will have to admit that a certain Mr Eriksson saw him first.

Arch-rivals Korea DPR and Korea Republic go head-to-head on Wednesday, with the North Koreans on a high after winning their opening game in the fourth round of Asian FIFA World Cup™ qualifying.

The two Koreas have drawn three times in three meetings this year, including two 0-0 stalemates when they met in the previous qualifying round. But the North Koreans go into the match with an edge, after upsetting United Arab Emirates 2-1 in their opening game last weekend.

"Obviously we are happy with the result. We would have been happy with one point, but to return with full points was really, really good. We still have a long way to go but it's a good start," said Korea DPR coach Kim Jong-Hun.

Attack has been a problem for both sides. The South Koreans managed ten goals in six games in the previous round, but seven came against minnows Turkmenistan. Their northern neighbours scored just four.

Korea Republic coach Huh Jung-Moo said his side was ready, despite missing Manchester United's Park Ji-Sung and recent AS Monaco acquisition Park Chu-Young. "Winning the opening match is always important," Huh said. "We've already played the North three times this year. We know they are an opportunistic team that pounces on fast breaks."

The Koreas are grouped with Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE with the top two teams from the group advancing to the FIFA World Cup in 2010. The South Koreans are seeking to make its seventh consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance, while Korea DPR are aiming for their first since 1966.