HEARTS keeper Henry Smith, who has been deposed from the first team by

Nicky Walker, is likely to find himself still a part of the Scotland

squad to face Malta in the World Cup qualifying game on February 17 at

Ibrox. Smith, who has been out of the Tynecastle side for the past seven

games, is not about to be discarded by the national manager, Andy

Roxburgh.

Roxburgh has to take a close look at the goalkeeping situation which

is not exactly buoyant at the moment. Other than Rangers man Andy Goram,

who is the No.1 and in great form, Scotland keepers have been having a

hard time of it.

Smith is not the only one to have lost his first team place. Gordon

Marshall, who made a remarkable journey from the Celtic reserves to the

top side and then the international pool, has been ousted by Pat Bonner

at Parkhead and has had to get used to reserve football again.

Another one of the unfortunate back-up brigade is Campbell Money, who

suffered a broken leg at the beginning of the year against Morton and is

out for the rest of the season. Smith, who last played against Falkirk

on December 2, Marshall and Money have been the mainstays behind Goram

for a long time but Roxburgh is not unduly concerned about the way

things have developed.

''It would be different if Henry had been out of the scene for many

months,'' he said ''but he is an experienced keeper and I am sure can

handle this situation. I played Ally McCoist for months when he was on

his backside on the Rangers bench and I don't really see any cause for

worry at this stage.''

He pointed out that Bryan Gunn, the Norwich City keeper is back to his

best form. ''That is a bonus in the circumstances. If anything happened

to Goram I might react differently and I suppose we'll have to wrap him

in cotton wool.''

Gunn suffered the tragic loss of his two-year-old daughter, Francesca,

through leukemia last October and has shown immense courage in returning

to his career, let alone recapturing top form and a place in the

Scotland pool would be a marvellous fillip for the former Aberdeen

keeper. He last played against Egypt in May, 1990, and his last

involvement in the squad was against San Marino in November, 1991.

Duncan Ferguson, the Dundee United striker whose name has been

ping-ponging across the headlines without his having scored a goal, may

be in the Tannadice reserves but there is every chance that he will be

included in the Under-21 squad which will play at his club ground

against Malta on February 16. Said Roxburgh: ''At the moment I can see

no reason why he should not be in the pool. We choose players for the

Under-21 squad who are not in the first teams at their clubs.''

The SFA offer to give free admission to youth groups for the game

against Malta at Ibrox has been seized upon in some style. Over a

thousand applications have been received.