As today's World Cup Group B opener between England and Paraguay gets ready to kick-off, England have been boosted by the news that Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard is likely to be declared fit from a back injury and start against Paraguay.

He was rated as an injury doubt on Thursday, missing training due to a stiff back, but after missing the 2002 World Cup, Gerrard is determined to show the world his talent.

England head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said at a press conference on Friday: "Everyone is fit. Steven Gerrard trained very well and should be on the pitch tomorrow unless he suffers a reaction in the night but I think he will play.

"He did everything in training except some crosses. Steven Gerrard is an important player to us and it is good to have him fit."

Gerrard is determined to make an impact for the Three Lions in Germany, and said: "We are England. We have got to be aggressive, go after teams and kill them off, because one goal might not be enough.

"We've got to go in with a 'no-fear' attitude. We'll respect but not fear."

Gerrard added: "We know we can beat anyone on our day so why should we fear any team?

"If we were to knocked out by being negative or worrying about other teams that would be a regret.

"We can't end this World Cup with regrets," finished the talismanic Liverpool captain.

England have only ever met Paraguay once in their history.

That was back on the 18th June 1986, in the Second Round of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, England triumphed 3-0 that day. England were controversially defeated by Diego Maradona and Argentina in the Quarter-Finals.

Paraguay know that a point here is worth fighting for and will try and quell the pace of the game and give no space for the England midfield.
Paraguay will be without striker

Paraguay are treating the match like it's the final, with the chance of getting a point, (or even more), from the match, always a possibility.

"Without exaggerating, I think our life (in the tournament) is on the line," said midfielder Roberto Acuna of the meeting.

The South Americans dangerous striking threat is now Bayern Munich striker Roque Santa Cruz after José Cardozo, the nation's top scorer in qualification, was ruled out of the entire tournament yesterday and replaced by Dante López from Serie A side Genoa.

Santa Cruz, who has been capped 42 times for his country, has been struggling with a knee injury and, while most expect the Bayern forward to start alongside Werder Bremen's Nelson Váldez up front, Paraguay's head coach Aníbal Ruiz was unwilling to say anything on his chances of Váldez starting against England on Saturday.

Ruiz, speaking to the Guardian, stated that his main fear on the pitch is Liverpool striker Peter Crouch.

"Peter Crouch is a concern for me,” said Ruiz.

“We hardly come across players like him, very seldom. In football it is not easy to find such a tall player with such good control.

"He has this harmony in his movements, a coordination that is very good and he also can go back and help with the game building."

Paraguay's back line have taken note of England's not-so-secret 6’7” weapon, and in set pieces in their World Cup warm-up matches against Hungary and Jamaica, have prepared specifically for Crouch's aerial threat.

"We have very good defenders because one of the main characteristics of Paraguayan football is our good aerial play," said Ruiz.

"They have very good players but we do as well and we have the ability to neutralise them." But their goalkeeper Justo Villar admitted: "For the England game we still have to work on our defence against corners and free-kicks because, in Crouch, they have a tall striker who will be good in the air."

England captain David Beckham thinks that the English style of play will benefit Eriksson’s boys saying: "I think the physical side always scares South American teams and other teams in Europe that we come up against.

"They counterattack but we are very lucky in our team that we have got ...[we have] some of the best defenders in the world and that is reassuring. But we still have to be very careful."