INFORMED sources suggest that Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton will be competing for a place in Steve McClaren's squad when England play their first friendly of the year against Spain at Old Trafford next month.

The concensus is that the two Liverpool lads are prominent members of the "probables" McClaren is monitoring as he pursues his open door policy to international selection.

But the young Wanderers skipper, as ambitious as he is to represent his country at senior level, is looking no further than locking horns with his fellow Scouser in tomorrow's Reebok derby - because he knows it is only performances in the white shirt of his club that will lead to him wearing the white shirt of his country.

"The rivalry between me and Joey Barton is nothing to do with England," Nolan said, anticipating the latest in a series of head to heads with the combative City midfielder.

"It's all about Bolton and Manchester City.

"I really want an England call-up. Who doesn't? But, at the end of the day, you only get that when you are doing well for your club, "Hopefully, the call will come for me and for Joey. It would be nice to get more Scousers in the England set-up and it would be great for Joey to get in there.

"He's scored quite a few goals for City and I've been impressed with the way the season has gone for him.

"He's had his off-the-pitch troubles in the past, but all that's behind him now."

Nolan has had the edge on Barton in recent duels, with Wanderers winning their last four Premiership clashes with City - the latest coming three weeks ago when the Whites coasted to victory with Nicolas Anelka scoring twice against his former club, and Barton getting himself sent off for a rash tackle on Abdoulaye Faye.

But City have responded by winning three Premiership games on the trot and, with Barton back in harness, Nolan expects them to to be a different proposition in the return bout.

"I'm not so much concerned about them coming here looking for revenge, but I have been impressed by what they have done since that defeat," he said.

"This is going to be a tough game for us, even though we played really well against them and beat them so recently. It will be a totally different game tomorrow. They're doing well and they'll be fired up. I just hope we don't give away any silly goals early on and have to come from behind, which we've had to do a couple of times recently. We've got to get back to being solid again, get back to dominating teams and keeping clean sheets. This is the first of eight home games and I see them all as winnable games.

"As far as I'm concerned, we can't afford any slip-ups.

"It's been Fortress Reebok for a while now and it's been scary for teams to come here. We have to make sure it stays that way."