Midfield aces - Lee Bowyer and Nicky Butt.

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INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE

When Lee Bowyer was the driving force behind the England Under-21 side under Peter Taylor just a few years ago, most people predicted it would be when, not if, he stepped up into the senior ranks.

A £3m move from then unfashionable Charlton to ambitions Leeds United - a record for a teenager - seemed to be the perfect boost for his international career.

But the combative and energetic midfielder has yet to win a full England cap and it seems hard to believe that Sven-Goran Eriksson will carry along uncapped players to the Far East.

Timing is everything in football and Bowyer seems to have hit a slide in form at just the wrong time.

A year ago, he was outstanding in Leeds United's surge to the semi-finals of the Champions' League but was unavailable for England teams because of his involvement in the well-publicsied court case for assault that also included his Elland Road team-mate Jonathan Woodgate.

Now that Bowyer has been able to put all those problems behind him, he seems to have been unable to recapture that form since Christmas and there are now very few chances for Bowyer to thrust his way into the national squad.

Playing for Manchester United is a bit of a double-edged sword for Nicky Butt.

On the one hand, it makes it difficult for the all-action star to cement a place in a team of superstars but even a place in the first-team squad at Old Trafford is greater recommendation than a regular spot in lesser clubs.

That is why Butt has racked up the best part of 20 caps despite never having a place to call his own in Alex Ferguson's midfield.

Butt made his debut in a 2-0 friendly victory over Mexico back in March 1997 but never featured in Kevin Keegan's line-ups in England's disappointing displays in Euro 2000.

But he started in Sven-Goran Eriksson's first game against Spain and featured in the two crucial World Cup qualifying victories at home to Finland and away to Albania.

He has never let his country down and would again be able back-up if taken to the Far East this summer.

BOWYER 5/10, BUTT 7/10.

FORM THIS SEASON

It's been a difficult for Bowyer, who seems to have suffered from the strain of his court case.

Last spring, he was a serious contender for the Footballer of the Year title but this time around, he has been plagued by a dip in form.

His thrusting runs from midfield to support the attack led to him scoring a quota of vital goals for a midfielder but these have dried up and managed only two League goals in the first six months of the season.

His future at Elland Road has also been called into question when he initially refused to pay a club fine imposed for his drunken behaviour on the fateful night of the assault on the student.

Then he was linked with moves to other clubs, notably Arsenal and Spurs, indicating perhaps a return to his London roots.

But Bowyer relented over his club punishment and the signs have also emerged that he may well sign a new deal at Leeds.

After completing a lengthy ban recently, Bowyer looked more like his old self in his comeback game against Manchester United.

But too many off-field distractions have undermined his performances earlier and this has certainly not been his best season in the Premiership.

Nicky Butt has been his usual model of consistency at Old Trafford depite again finding his first-team appearances limited.

The arrival of £23m Juan Sebastian Veron from Lazio in the summer made it that much harder for Butt to find a berth in a multi-talented midfield.

Butt has been confined to the bench when manager Alex Ferguson has opted for his first-choice central midfield axis of Veron and Roy Keane.

But he has still played some part in the majority of United's games this season and he opened his scoring account at West Ham in March.

BOWYER 7/10, BUTT 8/10.

FINISHING

Neither player could be classed as an attacking midfielder but Bowyer dominates the contest in scoring terms despite a relatively lean current season.

Bowyer scored a hugely creditable 15 goals last term which included an impressive strike rate in European competition.

With more than 50 goals in less than 250 appearances for Leeds, he has a scoring rate that some strikers would envy.

Butt's striking rate pales by comparison but the 27-year-old has also been hampered by only coming for the last 10 or 15 minutes in many of his outings.

Despite also racking up more than 250 games for his club, Butt goals have just passed the 20 mark and is often seen more as anchor role player than Bowyer.

BOWYER 8/10, BUTT 6/10.

PACE

Both players are no slouches though it's the power of their 'engine' that usually attracts the most comment.

Both players have the ability to get up and down the pitch and the speed to snap up loose possession in the centre circle.

But neither player would see themselves as having the burning pace to run past defenders.

BOWYER 7/10, BUTT 7/10.

AERIAL ABILITY

Neither player is noted for being a great threat in the air though their courage and bravery means they always win their fair share of headers.

Butt has the natural advantage of being the taller of the pair and would just have the edge in a head-to-head contest.

BOWYER 7/10, BUTT 8/10.

LINK PLAY

Bowyer has forged a reputation as a tough tackling midfielder over the past two or three seasons.

But his ability to find space in the penalty area and to time runs from deep has marked him out in the Premiership.

Bowyer's goal ratio proves he has become an auxiliary attacker when needed while he has shown himself at Elland Road comfortable in central midfield or even wide on the right.

Butt has also developed to link up with colleagues simply by the nature of Manchester United's smooth passing style.

But perhaps he looks the least adept on the ball of all the Old Trafford midfielders and has concentrated his career mostly on winning possesssion and finding a more creative team-mate quickly.

BOWYER 8/10, BUTT 7/10.

TOTALS: BOWYER 42 BUTT 43

SPORTINGLIFE.COM VERDICT

There is little doubt that if this comparison was done 12 months ago, Bowyer would have emerged the winner.

He was enjoying an excellent season with a Leeds team that had surprised everyone by reaching the last four of the Champions' League.

But the pressure of appearing each day in a high-profile court case seemd to take its toll eventually on Bowyer, who has suffered a relapse in form since the turn of the year.

This cannot have been helped by Leeds United's faded title challenge since Christmas but coupled with the off-field problem, Eriksson has yet to run to Bowyer and it appears that time is about to run out on him.

The England coach may already have it in the back of his mind that Bowyer will now be a player to consider for the 2004 European Championship qualifying campaign as he has let it be known with Bowyer's team-mate Woodgate.

On that basis, Butt is the more likely of the two to appear at the World Cup this summer.

He has already collected half a dozen caps during Eriksson's reign and continues to be an integral part of Manchester United's powerful first-team squad.

He must have an even money chance of being on the plane to the Far East though he may not get many starts unless key players pick up injuries or suspensions.