English Premier League club Liverpool's talismatic captain, Steven Gerrard, has blamed a lack of fitness for his poor performances in England's recent World Cup qualifiers against Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ahead of his clubs European Champions League and domestic game double header against fellow English Premier League club Chelsea fc, Gerrard said "I suffered in the two England games because I wasn't 100% fit. My performances against Wales and Northern Ireland were not good enough. Now I am 100 per cent I can feel the sharpness coming back".

"I feel good.I think it was just the timing of the two England games," added Gerrard. "If they had come two or three weeks later and I could have got some training under my belt you would have seen a better Steven Gerrard. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to play in the games coming up with Austria and Poland at Old Trafford and will be totally fit."

Gerrard's situation is not unique, many players throughout Europe are playing while injured, because of the frenzied schedule that any successful club has to adhere to, there is now a genuine fear that the FIFA 2006 World Cup in Germany, will take place minus some of the World's greatest players.

Already there is a growing list of players who's World Cup is over before it has even started, we have previously mentioned this on World Cup Latest, but it is the fans that make the game, not the players, and it is those same fans who are being asked to pay sometimes exorbitant entry fees to watch matches in their congested domestic programmes, who will be the most disappointed when they are unable to see their players perform on the Global platform.

Gerrard's team mate Jerzy Dudek been included in the Poland squad for their World Cup qualifier against England. Dudek dislocated his elbow during training for Liverpool in August and it was thought he would be out of action for up to three months. Poland are top of qualifying Group Six with 24 points from nine games, ahead of England with 19 points from eight.

England must win their last two qualifiers against Austria and Poland to win the group. The game between England and Poland will be played on 12 October at Old Trafford. Despite playing a key role in Liverpool's Champions League victory over AC Milan, Dudek is currently behind Jose Reina in the goalkeeping pecking order at Anfield.

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