Terry faces fitness race

Defender John Terry was tonight facing a race against time to be fit for Sunday’s Euro 2004 group opener against France.

However, even though the centre-back’s hamstring injury is clearly now a cause for genuine concern, Sven-Goran Eriksson has not yet ruled him out of his plans.

Indeed, the Swede is said to remain hopeful that Terry will be able to start the game in Lisbon.

The Chelsea defender will nevertheless not take part in tomorrow’s first training session since the squad’s arrival earlier today in Portugal.

He will instead work out individually at the national stadium with physio Gary Lewin as his fitness is further assessed by the England medical staff.

Reports have indicated that Terry could be in with only a 50-50 chance of facing France, with Jamie Carragher on standby to replace him as he did against Iceland in last Saturday’s warm-up game.

Indeed, Terry’s initial belief that he could be back in training tomorrow has proved to be overly optimistic.

However, the Chelsea defender still has at least three other training sessions in which to prove his fitness to Eriksson before the final line-up is selected on Saturday.

And he vowed after missing Saturday’s game at the City of Manchester stadium that he would still be fit for the France game.

The England coach must nevertheless then assess whether there would be any risk in putting him up against a striker of the pace of Thierry Henry.

Injuries to Jonathan Woodgate and Gareth Southgate, as well as Rio Ferdinand’s international ban have nevertheless restricted Eriksson’s central defensive options.

As well as Carragher, he also has Ledley King within the squad, although the Tottenham defender has so far made just one start for his country.

Carragher, meanwhile, has not always been known as an out-and-out central defender, having also played in both full-back positions for Liverpool.

He nevertheless moved more into the centre over the closing weeks of the season at club level, and was preferred to King in that role against Iceland.