Terry Must Prove Fitness By Friday

Sven-Goran Eriksson has set John Terry a Friday deadline to prove his fitness for Sunday's opening Euro 2004 group game against France in Lisbon.

The England centre-back has been doubtful for the match since he picked up a hamstring injury in last week's game against Japan.

The England coach told the Football Association's website, www.theFA.com: "John has made progress today and will work in the gym this afternoon and tomorrow. Then on Friday, we will decide. We will see this afternoon and tomorrow how much they can push him."

Asked to comment on Terry's chances of being fit for the French game, Eriksson responded: "It's hard to guess but I hope he will be. We have to be careful because this is more than one game and we don't want him to break down for the rest of the tournament. We have Jamie Carragher and Ledley King. They are both in very good shape and I'm sure they would both like to play in the first game."

Terry will continue his rehabilitation work over the next two days before undergoing a fitness test on Friday, more than 48 hours before Sunday's game.

England's medical staff had Terry undergoing physiotherapy in the team hotel pool at 7.30am today as part of his "aggressive rehabilitation" from a hamstring injury.

Later, at training, Terry was able to jog without the heavy strapping to his left thigh which he has been wearing since injuring himself last week. But while the other 22 players in the squad took part in a full session, Terry was again put through his paces in a solo work-out with physio Gary Lewin.

In Terry's absence, the task of stopping striker Thierry Henry and playmaker Zinedine Zidane would be likely to fall to Carragher, who deputised for him in Saturday's 6-1 friendly win over Iceland.