Euro 2004 warm-ups hit by rash of injuries

French midfielder Zinedine Zidane will miss the international friendly against Portugal. Zidane is part of a group of high-profile players that will miss a series of international friendlies.

The latest batch of Euro 2004 dress rehearsals will be staged with a host of players tipped to take starring roles in Portugal noticeable by their absence.

All 16 qualifiers turn out as their managers get another opportunity to tinker and fine-tune their squads ahead of the June 12-July 4 finals.

But champions France will seek to extend their unbeaten run to 15 games against the Dutch in Rotterdam without Zinedine Zidane, the Real Madrid playmaker who has had to cry off with a groin strain.

France coach Jacques Santini is also missing Arsenal duo Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires.

His England counterpart, Sven-Goran Eriksson, returns to Gothenburg, the club where his stellar career began over two decades ago, to face Sweden with plenty of injury concerns of his own.

Eriksson, who has put an end to the intense speculation over his future by signing a new contract tying him to the post until 2008 (albeit with get out clauses aplenty), is missing captain David Beckham, Michael Owen, Kieron Dyer, Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell.

Steven Gerrard, Owen's Liverpool teammate, is in line to pick up the captain's armband for England, who are in the same group as France in Portugal. Gareth Southgate and John Terry are also contenders to lead England out against the Swedes.

Eriksson put pen to paper on a fresh deal after being photograhed emerging from the home of Peter Kenyon, chief executive of Chelsea, the club he has persistently been associated with as a successor to Claudio Ranieri.

Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard (pictured) will captain England against Sweden after David Beckham was forced to pull out of Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad.

Sweden have injury problems too. Defenders Andreas Jakobsson and Michael Svensson are out and are due to be replaced by Petter Hansson and Alexander Ostlund.

The 1968 European champions Italy take on hosts Portugal in Braga without Inter Milan midfielder Cristiano Zanetti and Parma defender Marcello Castellini.

Coach Giovanni Trapattoni has called up Milan midfielder Massimimo Ambrosini and Bologna defender Cesare Natali to replace the injured pair.

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is an admirer of the Italian way and he wants his players to study the beaten finalists in 2000 closely.

"I believe Italy has a way of playing, a style that often brings success. Last year their teams adopted it in the Champions League.

"Those who don't appreciate it can say that it's no good for football and dull to watch, but at the end of the day it took them (AC Milan and Juventus) to the final, while other teams that played really well were knocked out. You tell me what's better," said Scolari, who guided Brazil to World Cup success in 2002.

The game is being played at one of the 10 stadia to have been built or totally renovated for Euro 2004.

Portugal are grouped in the finals with Russia who go into their friendly against Bulgaria in Sofia with a cloud over two key figures - striker Dmitri Bulykin and defender Sergei Ignashevitch.

The duo are expected to retain their place in Georgi Yartsev's team despite being banned for a month after trading punches in an on-pitch brawl in a messy league tie at the weekend.

The Czech Republic face the Republic of Ireland, who last month held world champions Brazil to a goalless draw, without their most capped player, former Manchester United midfielder Karel Poborsky. The Sparta Prague captain misses out on his 92nd cap due to an ankle injury.

German coach Rudi Voller will be depending on Michael Ballack (pictured) to score against Belgium in an international friendly in Cologne.

Germany, who beat the Czechs to win Euro 1996, host neighbours Belgium with Arsenal's Jens Lehmann in goal instead of captain Oliver Kahn.

"I hope I do everything right," said the in-form Lehmann.

Coach Rudi Voller will be depending on the accuracy of Michael Ballack's boot up front.

"(Zinedine) Zidane is the greatest player on the planet but Ballack scores more goals at the end of a season," Voller suggested.

In Zagreb the only new face in Croatia's squad taking on Turkey - Australian-born Joey Didulica - has had to pull out with a wrist injury while Soren Colding returns for Denmark in their tie with Spain for the first time in four years.