Mexico’s ‘El Tricolore’ face Iran’s ‘Team Melli’ today in Nuremburg in their first match of Group D in the World Cup Finals.

Mexico -ranked fourth in the world and one of the favourites to advance out of Group D – will be bolstered by the news that their first-choice goalkeeper, Oswaldo Sanchez has returned to Germany after travelling back to Mexico after the death of his father last week and may well be fit to play.

But Iran will not feel like the underdogs in the match and will not fear the Mexican’s. “We have a good team,” said Team Melli captain Ali Daei on Friday.

“We have worked hard in the past four years to get here. Right now our only goal is to qualify for the second stage, and in spite of a tough group, we can achieve that.”

Group D also includes Portugal, the other team that, along with Mexico are favourites to advance, and World Cup debutantes Angola.

Iran, meanwhile, thought they had lost left-back Sattar Zare for the World Cup, after the defender injured his right knee during a training session on Thursday.

But on Friday, Iran head coach Branko Ivankovic confirmed that the injury was not as serious as first thought, and that Zare should be available for Sunday's game.

However, Ivankovic said, Kaiserslautern midfielder Ferydoon Zandi has been ruled-out to play on Sunday because he has still not recovered from a bout of the flu.

Iran's defensive midfield and back line could have their hands full against Mexico, which has been practicing with three striker this past week – Mexico’s all-time record goalscorer Jared Borgetti in the centre of attack, flanked by Omar Bravo and Guillermo Franco.

While Mexico head coach Ricardo Lavolpe has not yet announced a starting lineup, Sanchez's comment earlier this week that Mexico would “Bombard” Iran indicated that Lavolpe planned on pressing the attack with multiple strikers.

The Iranians are more concerned, however, with playing their own game.

“My philosophy is not to think too much about the opponent,” said Ivankovic. “The players must be informed about their strengths and weaknesses, but the main accent is on their own qualities and abilities.”

Mexico midfielder Pavel Pardo thinks the same, saying: "I don't have anything to say about the other team, other than that we have analyzed them”

Pardo, speaking through a translator along with Mexico's other players said: “It doesn't matter what they do or don't do. What's important is how we are, how we have been working so long, for the team to be aggressive on the field on Sunday.”

Iran has had a fairly successful run of World Cup warm-up games, with a 2-2 draw against Croatia - another World Cup team - and a 5-2 thrashing of Bosnia in Tehran.

Mexico lost 1-0 in France and 2-1 in the Netherlands in their last two international friendlies.