Vassell and Terry join England list of casualties

SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON admitted he would be prepared to play a half-fit David Beckham and Michael Owen in this summer’s Euro 2004 finals as he confronted the latest injury crisis ahead of a friendly.

England are without not only Rio Ferdinand, Jonathan Woodgate, Gary Neville, Steven Gerrard and Sol Campbell for tonight’s friendly in Portugal, but also Darius Vassell and John Terry, who joined the absentee list yesterday.

As he once again pits his wits against Portugal coach Luis Felipe Scolari, the man who led Brazil to World Cup success in 2002, it has again underlined the integral importance of Owen and Beckham. In the World Cup quarter-final defeat by Brazil neither was fully fit but Eriksson simply had to take a risk. He has no regrets about that decision and, while he fervently hopes not to have to confront the problem this summer, the Swede would be unlikely to change his approach if faced with it again.