Doom and gloom returns to the back pages as storm clouds begin to gather around England's Euro 2004 qualifier against Macedonia on Saturday.

Every newspaper leads on England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's admission that he was totally floored by the news that his midfield has been ravaged by injuries.

The Daily Mail headlines "I haven't a clue what to do," while the Daily Star goes for "Sven's mid life crisis."

The Guardian also points out, "the famously serene Eriksson was flustered."

The photographs of Eriksson wearing an insipid grey tracksuit and looking extremely pensive do nothing to help convince fans that the super cool Swede is taking it all in his stride.

The Daily Telegraph is one of the few papers who have decided to look on the bright side.

England's talismanic midfielder Gerrard might be out but now is the time for others to step forward and prove their worth.

"The importance of Owen Hargreaves and Frank Lampard to the cause of St George rose as the shadows lengthened," the paper writes.

THE HEADLINES Daily Telegraph: Hargreaves to dip deep for England The Times: Eriksson frets after Gerrard swells England's absentees The Sun: I'm up Crock Creek - Sven despair Daily Express: I don't know what to do Daily Mirror: Crisis! Gerrard out, Scholes out, Rio a doubt Daily Mail: I haven't got a clue what to do Daily Star: Sven's mid life crisis The Guardian: England lose Gerrard to injury The Independent: Gerrard's injury hits England ambitions

In another England camp down at The Oval nothing but a South Africa victory and maybe a pair of ducks is going to spoil Alec Stewart's leaving party.

And while the nation's football team is wondering just who is going to get them out of the hole in their midfield, the 40-year-old wicket-keeper knows exactly who can guide the cricket team to success.

The Surrey man is urging England's selectors to take former captain Nasser Hussain and batsman Graham Thorpe on the winter tour to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

"Thorpe is our best player of spin and Nasser has shown he is a player of quality," the Daily Mail quotes Stewart as saying.

And when morale is down perhaps the chiefs in British sport, whether from the world of football, cricket or athletics should take a leaf out of Caroline Taylor's book.