Italian referee Pierluigi Collina will be in charge of Turkey's decisive Euro 2004 qualifier against England [ Images ] this weekend, UEFA [ Images ] said on Monday.

Dane Kim Milton Nielsen had been due to handle Saturday's Group Seven game in Istanbul, but has been ruled out after picking up a foot injury in a Danish league game at the weekend.

Collina is rated by many in the game as the world's best referee and officiated at Brazil's [ Images ] World Cup final victory over Germany [ Images ] last year in Yokohama.

Nielsen is remembered by England fans for having sent off David Beckham [ Images ], now England's captain, in their 1998 World Cup defeat by Argentina in France [ Images ].

England are top of Group Seven and need only a draw to qualify for next year's tournament in Portugal, and consign their hosts to the playoffs in November.