DARREN JACKSON, so often a fringe player with Celtic during their championship-winning season, gets another chance to prove himself on the international stage tomorrow. Scotland manager Craig Brown has included the 31-year-old Parkhead striker in his starting line up for the World Cup warm-up match against Colombia at the Giants Stadium, New York. He will partner Gordon Durie up front because a stomach bug has sidelined Blackburn's Kevin Gallacher. Brown, who named his team yesterday at the squad's New Jersey training camp, has opted for five Celtic players with Tom Boyd, Craig Burley, Jackie McNamara and Paul Lambert lining up alongside Jackson. McNamara, troubled by a nagging ankle injury last season, is one of two midfielders selected who have had to overcome fitness problems. Former Bhoys star John Collins has been struggling with a toe injury and hasn't played for four weeks but the Monaco man has kept up his fitness level by working out on an exercise bike. Many of today's team will be in the World Cup starting line-up, though there is one definite departure from the team that will face Brazil in the opening game of France 98. Brown has decided to rest his first and second-choice goalkeepers, Jim Leighton and Andy Goram who will instead probably play a half each against the USA in Washington in seven days time, and award Wimbledon keeper Neil Sullivan his third cap instead. Scotland's main worry against the talented South Americans and fellow World Cup finalists is their lack of punch up front. The missing Gallacher has scored only eight goals in 35 appearances, but that is a decent average for this squad - Durie's record is seven goals in 39 matches while Jackson's tally is four in 22 games. It hardly gives the Tartan Army cause for optimism in a game where Brown is hoping to avoid the bad results which preceded Euro 96 and sent the team into the tournament on a downbeat note. In the run-up to that tournament, they also played Colombia and the USA - and lost to both. Brown, therefore, has insisted that the team has not been selected with Brazil in mind, but to look for a good result to boost morale. In terms of shape and formation, Colombia have a different approach from Brazil, he argued. They play through the middle. They also play with a sweeper and are a side that score freely, but defensively they are vulnerable. Their goalkeeper Oscar Cordoba is known to be particularly erratic and was sent off in their last game for handling outside the box. That match, against the much-admired Yugoslavians, finished 0-0 and showed at least that the Colombians have some staying power. They can also call on the likes of former Newcastle favourite Faustino Asprilla, the team's leading scorer in the World Cup qualifiers with seven goals in 12 games. His temperament has let him down in the past, but Tino's ability is unquestioned and Brown is fully aware of the threat the Colombian poses. However, he said: We have made no special plans about him, over and above marking him tightly. Scotland team: Sullivan (Wimbledon), Calderwood (Tottenham), Hendry (Blackburn), Dailly (Derby), Boyd (Celtic); Burley (Celtic), McNamara (Celtic), Lambert (Celtic), Collins (Monaco); Durie (Rangers), Jackson (Celtic).

KELLY LEADS YOUNG IRELAND Republic of Ireland v Mexico   LEEDS defender Gary Kelly will become the Republic of Ireland's youngest skipper for years at Lansdowne Road today. Kelly, a former Under-21 captain who also led his club at the end of the season, gets his chance as Mick McCarthy's team looks to end a run of six games without a win by beating World Cup-bound Mexico. The side Kelly will lead is a young one because of injuries and play-off commitments, and there is added pressure as Ireland's next match is the vital European Championship qualifier at home to Croatia in September. I wouldn't read too much into our recent results, as we have brought in a lot of young lads, said the 23-year-old. But for this game I would prefer to play badly and win rather than play well and lose. It's a big honour for me. I realise that a lot of our senior players will be back at the start of next season. Nonetheless, it would be nice to skipper Ireland to victory. My record is good - in my 12 games leading Leeds, we only lost twice. eyenoord forward David Connolly and Kelly's teammate and nephew Ian Harte, who both joined the squad after sharing in the Under-21's 3-0 win over Scotland on Monday, are included. Derby midfielder Lee Carsley has shaken off a hamstring problem to play, and Gareth Farrelly, the hero of Everton's successful fight against relegation, is also in. McCarthy has been forced to play his youngsters because Roy Keane, Jason McAteer, Kenny Cunningham, Alan Kelly, Denis Irwin, Jeff Kenna and Steve Staunton all are injured. Sunderland's Niall Quinn and Mark Kinsella of Charlton are also missing - they are required by their clubs for Monday's First Division promotion play-off final at Wembley. McCarthy said: This side does not reflect the team I would hope to play against Croatia, but it represents a good opportunity for many of our young players to show their ability at this level. The Irish will be out for revenge, following two recent controversial meetings between the teams. In the 1994 World Cup, Mexico beat the Republic 2-1 in a game remembered for clashes with officials. Jack Charlton was stopped from getting water to his dehydrating players, then it took several minutes for the fourth official to allow John Aldridge to come on as a substitute. Two years later, the teams drew 2-2 in the USA Cup, with Quinn and Liam Daish both shown the red card and McCarthy banished from the bench. Mexico were beaten 5-2 by Norway on Wednesday and will be anxious to make up for that setback, as they prepare for their World Cup Group E matches with Holland, Belgium and South Korea. Coach Manuel Lapuente is likely to recall goalkeeper Jorge Campos and striker Luis Garcia to the starting line-up after the duo missed the Oslo thrashing. Garcia scored both goals against the Republic in Orlando four years ago and repeated the dose in New Jersey in 1996. Republic of Ireland: Given (Newcastle), Fleming (Middlesbrough), Breen (Coventry), Babb (Liverpool), Harte (Leeds), Kelly (Leeds, capt), Carsley (Derby), Farrelly (Everton), Duff (Blackburn), Keane (Wolves), Connolly (Feyenoord). Subs to be announced. For more information on Mexico, see the team profile in the current features section.

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