SCOTLAND'S international team manager Craig Brown yesterday announced 43 names for his senior and Under-21 squads to meet France in friendlies next week. Only eight Old Firm players are included, which represents just over 18% of the total. In those statistics it is perhaps easy to see why there is some alarm among the football fraternity in this country who fear for the future of the national side.

It is a salutary reminder of the state of the art just as the debate about how many foreigners there should be in the major European clubs is at its height, with UEFA attempting to persuade the EC that some kind of exception should be made to enable countries to retain at least a semblance of control over their identities on the football field.

The fact that the two biggest clubs in the land are able to contribute so meagrely to the national choices, in particular the Under- 21s, is surely evidence that, while the management at Celtic and Rangers are entitled to work from a different agenda in their own interests, the wider picture is decidedly worrying for anyone who wants to see the country's jerseys worn with skill as well as pride.

It was put to Brown yesterday that, with a new campaign beginning as the side prepare for the World Cup qualification series, the recall to the senior squad of old faces who have been around the squad for some time was a bit depressing. His response was to ask for names of replacements. There was silence.

Other than the argument over whether or not Kenny Miller, the young Hibs striker, should have been in the top squad, rather than the younger pool, there was no dispute with the manager about the personnel he had selected in the 21 names for the major squad.

Among those are Jonathan Gould, Tommy Boyd, Jackie McNamara, and Mark Burchill, of Celtic, as well as Barry Ferguson, Billy Dodds, and Neil McCann, of Rangers.

That could be supplemented by another Parkhead player, Paul Lambert, if he is able to turn out for the Celtic side against Rangers on Sunday but, as he is feeling some soreness in his ankle after a long absence from the first team, that seems a remote possibility.

In the Under-21 side, the only Old Firm representative is Celtic's Stephen Crainey.

Miller was expected to be given a lift by going straight into the top squad, even if his chances of playing would have been slim.

However, Brown takes the view that it would be better for the 20-year-old to play his first international game in the Under- 21s than to be on the sidelines with the senior squad.

''He is an exciting, clever, and speedy player who will get his chance but he has started only 13 games for Hibs and Burchill, who played the last 17 minutes against England at Wembley, did nothing to warrant being left out this time,'' said the manager, ''and Mark has to compete all along with the likes of Mark Viduka and Henrik Larsson at Celtic.

''Kenny Dalglish assured me it was a marginal decision to play Tommy Johnson rather than him in the cup final on Sunday.''

Even so, Brown left open the possibility of promoting the Hibs striker when he said that Miller could be called up if there is a problem up front or in midfield by next week. ''Don Hutchison could be pulled back into midfield if required.''

Brown dismissed the hints of a ''Dad's Army'' selection. ''We have eight young players in this squad and I have looked all over the country at others. But I think we have done enough experimenting. What we need now is consistency of performance.

''If we have to bring in a young Miller or a Gary Naysmith, it will be to a settled line-up.

''We finished the European cam-paign well and want to build on that win over England at Wembley.''

He acknowledged that the strikers he has selected, Burchill, Billy Dodds, and Kevin Gallacher have managed only 12 goals between them in a combined 66 appearances but, citing the excellent record of Hutchison, four goals in seven games, he responded with the view that goals were available from midfield, too.

Hutchison, out of favour at Everton - they turned down a #1m bid from Sunderland yesterday - is fit enough, he said, after a succession of reserve games.

The game against the world champions a week today ought to help clarify his plans for the new campaign, although the Old Firm match at Ibrox on Sunday is not likely to aid his cause, with the risk of injury involved.

''France have been very impressive since they won the World Cup. They have shown that they are no big-time Charlies, the players, such as Zidane, Des-champs, Thuram, Desailly, etc, have shown a work ethic that makes them very worthy world champions. They have a superb attitude.''

The chances are that McNamara, who, surprisingly, has not played for his country since the World Cup game against Morocco in France in 1998, will be back in the side.

Brown has been very impressed by the way the Celtic man has been playing this season. ''Jackie is playing more freely again. He is much stronger than he looks, tackles well, and is excellent going forward.''

His former team-mate, Craig Burley, has recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Derby team for the past two weeks while Brown was at pains to reiterate how much of a key man Barry Ferguson is.

''He took the responsibility laid on him at Wembley, and did well. We want him to continue that way. I also think Colin Cameron is about ready to come good.''

Matt Elliott returns to the fold after his suspension and tem-porary exile following his sending-off against the Faroe Islands.

''We know he hasn't shown what he can do in a Scotland shirt, but every Premiership manager I talk to rates him highly.''

for friendly against France at Hampden Park on March 29:

Robert Douglas (Dundee), Jona-than Gould (Celtic), Neil Sullivan (Wimbledon), Tommy Boyd (Celtic), Christian Dailly (Blackburn), Matt Elliott (Leicester), Colin Hendry (Coventry), Brian O'Neil (Wolfsburg), Paul Ritchie (Hearts), David Weir (Everton), Craig Burley (Derby), Colin Cameron (Hearts), Callum Davidson (Blackburn), Barry Ferguson (Rangers), Don Hutchison (Everton), Allan John- ston (Sunderland), Jackie McNamara (Celtic), Mark Burchill (Celtic), Billy Dodds (Rangers), Kevin Gallacher (Newcastle), Neil McCann (Rangers).

Under-21 squad to play France at Rugby Park on Tuesday, March 28:

Ryan Esson (Aberdeen), Paul Gallacher (Dundee United), Jamie Langfield (Dundee), Colin Stewart (Kilmarnock), Stephen Caldwell (Newcastle), Peter Canero (Kilmarnock), Stephen Crainey (Celtic), Warren Cummings (Chelsea), Andrew Jordan (Bristol City), Lee Wilkie (Dundee), Sergei Baltacha (St Mirren), Hugh Davidson), Craig Easton (both Dundee United), Richard Hughes (Bournemouth), Hugh Murray (St Mirren), Scott Severin (Hearts), Brian Carrigan (Clyde), Kenny Miller (Hibernian), Kenneth Milne (Hearts), Alex Notman (Manchester United), Neil Tarrant (Aston Villa), Gary Wales (Hearts).