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George Burley, the Scotland manager, opted not to name his team line-up yesterday in advance of this evening's match against Argentina at Hampden Park, despite fears of a relatively low attendance for the so-called glamour friendly international. Such anxieties may look misplaced if about 35,000 show up at Hampden - there have been far worse crowds for international friendlies in Glasgow - but the SFA is certainly fretful, having spent about £700,000 in luring Diego Maradona's team as opposition.

Gordon Smith, the Scottish FA chief executive, repeated yesterday that the match was “a test and a bit of a risk” in determining whether such matches against Argentina - and even Brazil, whom Smith also has on his radar - are worth the effort. About 29,000 tickets had been sold by last night.

A crowd of 35,000-40,000 is the SFA's break-even figure, and some believe that Burley naming his team in advance might help ticket - or “walk-up” - sales tonight, but he refused to alter his usual practice of keeping his team under wraps.

“I don't see the benefit of naming the team,” Burley said. “I don't think that will help with the attendance because the fans are already aware of the squad we have. Also, I still to have to look at things in training, so it's not black or white yet.

“But people have to be realistic. This is a midweek game, it's November, and it costs a lot of money to take their families in this difficult [economic] climate. We are looking at maybe 35,000 being there on the night and that would be terrific for a midweek game. Other games would not be anywhere near as attractive.”

Some aspects of the Scotland team are already known. Allan McGregor, Rangers' talented but wayward goalkeeper, will start in place of Craig Gordon, the Sunderland player who is injured, and Barry Ferguson will start his first international game in a year after his ankle surgery, probably playing for an hour. Ferguson will reach a milestone this evening in leading out Scotland for the 27th time, equalling the record jointly held by Graeme Souness and Roy Aitken.

“I'll give Souness a phone - not really, I haven't got his number,” Ferguson quipped. “I've missed so many games through injury. I made my international debut ten years ago and I haven't reached 50 caps yet.

“It is disappointing, but injuries are just part and parcel of the game. Every time I've been fit I've wanted to play for my country at any level. Everyone should want to do that and I'm no different. And players especially want to play in a game like this against Argentina. You want to play against the best.”

Burley, meanwhile, aimed a good-natured barb at Terry Butcher, his assistant, for the Englishman's simpering about Maradona's “Hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals. Butcher aims to greet Maradona at Hampden and grab him warmly by the throat.

“Terry is a big boy now,” Burley said. “He has to grow up and move on. My own recollections of 1986 are of Maradona the player, not the handball merchant. As a player he was only behind Pelé for me as the best. He is the best player I have ever played against, and anyone who was involved at Hampden in 1979 would agree with that. He was a magnificent footballer.”

Chris Iwelumo, who infamously missed a potential match-winner against Norway in September's World Cup qualifier, also has a good chance of starting.