Levein confident Scotland can calm doubters

The manager has recalled Kenny Miller and David Weir for the tie and believes that with the return of several more experienced players they can put their poor 3-0 defeat to Sweden last month behind them.

"I assure you we will be better than we were in Sweden," Levein said.

"I hesitate to go back too often to the Sweden game. There are lessons to be learned but there could be seven or eight players different in this match from the last one so it's probably not a fair comparison.

"The tempo of training has improved enormously and I think it's because of the importance of the game."

Levein has the services of Scotland stalwarts Stephen McManus, Paul Hartley, Lee McCulloch, Scott Brown and Alan Hutton to call on in Lithuania.

However he said that not everything hinged on tonight's result.

"I don't know where the points are going to come from in the group," the former Hearts and Dundee United manager said.

"We might draw all our away games and win all the home games and go through.

"But I understand the importance of this game," he added. "There are only five teams in our group and eight games."