CAPTAIN Darren Fletcher insists Scotland will be inspired and not intimidated by the Wembley atmosphere as they look to get their World Cup hopes back on track by beating England on their own patch.

Fletcher admits Gordon Strachan’s men go into to the match wounded and hurt following last month’s disappointing draw with Lithuania and the disastrous defeat in Slovakia but are determined to make amends.

Group leaders England go into the first competitive meeting between the sides since 1999 as huge favourites but Fletcher was adamant that even underdogs can have their day.

He said: “It is a fantastic place to play football and I’m sure our team will be inspired by it. I’ve watched England games in the past and you hear the uncertainty if there is not a goal after the first 15 or 20 minutes.

"Hopefully that happens tonight. It won’t be a nice place to play if things are going wrong for England so hopefully that can work to our advantage.

“The lads are a little bit hurt after the last couple of games and that adds even more anger to our bellies, because we’re really desperate to show we’re better than what happened in Slovakia.

“We feel we’re capable of a performance that the manager deserves and the country deserves. It’s tough to come away to the top seeds and, while we won’t play for a draw, we wouldn’t be unhappy with one.

"Yes, we’ve had a couple of disappointing results, but we’re still right in it if we can get a result here.

“How do we win this game? The same way that Celtic defeated Barcelona and the way we as West Brom have beaten Manchester United and Arsenal.

"The game’s not played on paper. It’s 11 players going out there against another 11 and anything can happen. Talent alone can only take you so far. Desire takes you further. It’s up to us to step up.

"Everyone expects England to win but at the same time we believe in ourselves. We believe we can come here and put in a performance that will get us a result.”

Fletcher was recovering from an operation to cure a chronic bowel condition the last time Scotland played at Wembley three years ago. Now he’s delighted to be taking part.

He recalled: “I was still in hospital that night coming round from anaesthetic. I just remember the flashes of Kenny Miller and James Morrison scoring. Even Scotland versus England can’t keep you awake when you’re on that stuff! That was the final op, the make-or-break to see if everything would be okay.

"I was fighting bigger things than football at that point. I always believed I would get back to playing regular football and dreamed of getting back for Scotland. And I think you need that mindset.”

The West Brom man will become Scotland’s third-most capped player on 77 – equal with Alex McLeish – if he starts the match. He added: “I’m aware of that milestone. I’m quite close with Alex’s son who also has ulcerative colitis so it’s another little memento and we do the charity stuff together.

"That’s another nice thing but I’ll probably look back more on it at the end of my career. The biggest focus is on the game. Caps are great and it’s a nice milestone but getting a result is the thing that matters the most.”