Vassell lift for England

Injury doubt
The Aston Villa FC forward was named in coach Sven-Göran Eriksson's provisional 23-man squad last Monday, but has been struggling with a hamstring injury since the end of April. Eriksson must now decide whether to risk the 23-year-old in England's warm-up games against Japan and Iceland in Manchester next week.

'Looking forward'
Vassell said today: "I will be available for the finals. I did some special work on my hamstring and that went well. At this moment in time, I am 100 per cent. The injury was only minor in the first place, I have had a bit of a break and I feel strong. I am looking forward to the finals."

Defoe blow
Vassell passed the test at England's training camp in Sardinia, and the news will come as a boost to Eriksson, who has been deprived of several senior players for the finals. However, Vassell's availability means that the Tottenham Hotspur FC striker Jermain Defoe, who is on the Mediterranean island as the 24th man in England's squad, is unlikely to travel to Portugal.

'Great attitude'
"Jermain has done so well and has a great attitude," Vassell added. "If anyone gets injured, he will be the first one to get in [the squad]. I wish him well and it's a great experience for him whatever happens."