McLeish will have to cope without the injured Kenny Miller, Gary Naysmith and Russell Anderson for Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier.

But he has 22 players still eager to play a part, and in Shaun Maloney, Kris Boyd, Garry O'Connor, James McFadden and Craig Beattie he has five strikers fighting it out for two, or at the best three, places.

McLeish has been overwhelmed by the form of his players in the early weeks of the season and believes it is wise to keep them guessing on the team for Hampden.

He told Sky Sports News it was not so simple an equation as selecting Kris Boyd and then deciding which of the remaining four should join the Rangers frontman in the team.

McLeish said: "We'll keep the players guessing. We'll continue to monitor them in training.

"The candidates have all got a chance. They've all stated their case, there's no doubt about it, they've all been scoring and Boyd is one of a number of players who could start up front.

"But I won't give anything away just now - (I want to) keep the morale very high and I don't want players thinking, 'Well that's me definitely not playing', until we assess them all further in training this week and we shape up the team towards the end of the week."

McLeish's team must win against the Lithuanians to be sure that next Wednesday's clash with France at the Parc des Princes lives up to its current billing as a pivotal match for both sides.

"The club form of all the players has been really good," said McLeish.

"We've had bonuses of Maloney scoring goals, O'Connor scoring last week for Birmingham, and all the players have been featuring for their teams.

"There's players who have qualified for the Champions League, it augurs well for the mood of the camp."

Darren Fletcher had McLeish and his club manager Sir Alex Ferguson for company today, after the Manchester United boss dropped in on the squad to deliver his best wishes.

McLeish said: "Sir Alex paid us a wee visit. It was a great boost for the players to see him.

"He said hello to Darren as well. Darren was pleased to see his gaffer."

And McLeish has no doubt Fletcher is ready to play a big role on Saturday, even if he is not guaranteed a first-team place at Old Trafford.

"Fletcher's at a great level of fitness, there's no doubt about it," said McLeish, "and I know that he'll figure in a lot of the big games for Manchester United.

"History has told you in his career there he's been involved in a lot of the big games.

"So I don't have any real concerns about Fletcher at all. I know that he's featured in the last couple after not being involved the week before.

"It's a great stage of the season. All the players are fit, they're all sharp, and I know that this means a lot to them."