World Cup Qualifying News round-up: SPAIN v BELGIUM: Spain's coach Luis Aragones has recalled Barcelona playmaker Xavi in the hope of providing more creativity to his midfield for the Group Seven clash with Belgium in Santander.
Defender Asier del Horno is also likely to make the starting line-up after shining for Athletic Bilbao so far this season.
Arsenal's Jose Antonio Reyes will line out on the left of midfield while Jaoquin is set to take the right-sided berth.
Up front, Aragones is almost certain to opt for the partnership of Raul and Fernando Torres.
Belgium coach Aime Anthuenis will have to continue to make do without Hamburg striker Emile Mpenza, who shows no sign of ending his seven-month exile from the national squad, and will pin his hopes on Ajax forward Welsey Sonck.
Utrecht midfielder Stefaan Tanghe and Celtic defender Joos Valgaeren have withdrawn through injury but Anthuenis has called 31-year-old Olivier Doll into the squad to provide cover.
UKRAINE v GREECE: Greece coach Otto Rehhagel has called up striker Dimitris Salpingidis to his squad for today's Group Two World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.
Rehaggel brought in the PAOK Salonica forward as cover for Werder Bremen's Angelos Charisteas who has a back strain.
The European champions, who have taken just one point from their first two games, are already without Panathinaikos front man Dimitris Papadopoulos who has a thigh strain.
SLOVENIA v ITALY: Slovenia's hopes of earning a point against group leaders Italy in their World Cup qualifier today have been hit by the loss of captain and key defender Aleksander Knavs who has a knee injury.
Francesco Totti returns from suspension for Italy and will play in his preferred free role behind Palermo target-man Luca Toni.
Mauro Esposito will play on the left flank with Juventus winger Mauro Camoranesi likely to start on the right.
Slovenia will replace Knavs with Zeljko Mitrakovic of local team Domzale.
CZECH REPUBLIC v ROMANIA: Tomas Galasek will captain the Czech Republic following the international retirement of Pavel Nedved.
The 31-year-old Ajax Amsterdam defensive midfielder has played 39 matches for the Czechs and has been skipper of Ajax and Willem II Tilburg.
Group leaders Romania have been forced to rule injured captain Cristian Chivu out because of a toe injury.
In another Group One game, Holland travel to play Macedonia.
CROATIA v BULGARIA: Croatia coach Zlatko Kranjcar may give two players their first caps in today's Group Eight clash against Bulgaria.
Brazilian-born striker Eduardo da Silva and Varteks Varazdin midfielder Nikola Safaric were called up by Kranjcar, who also invited Dinamo Kiev defender Goran Sablic to join has squad as Igor Tudor of Juventus is struggling with a knee injury.
