England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson says he is concerned about the fitness of three key England players ahead of the World Cup Finals.

Arsenal defenders Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell, along with Newcastle United striker Michael Owen, are all certainties to go to Germany if fit, but none are currently available and time is running out for them to recover.

“I have concerns about all of them, I would say, because we're in the middle of March and the season finishes for them at the beginning of May,” Eriksson told reporters on Wednesday.

Campbell has been plagued by injury over the past year and made his latest comeback in a reserve match for his club on Tuesday, but has not played first-team football since aappearing for Arsenal at Highbury on February 1 when he was substituted at half-time, only to disappear from the stadium.

Ashley Cole has only played once since October due to a broken foot, thigh injury and twisted ankle and ex-Liverpool striker Michael Owen has not played since breaking a bone in his foot on December 31.

“I hope all of them will be on the pitch very soon,” said Eriksson.

“Ashley Cole I spoke to twice recently and he thinks that in a couple of weeks he will be back in full training. But I haven't spoken to the medical staff, though, so I am not sure.

“Sol, I don't have any news about when he can start, but he played in a reserve game yesterday and that's good, very good. And Owen is supposed to be returning very soon.”

Eriksson was speaking at the hotel where the England team will be basedduring the World Cup the Buhlerhohe Schlosshotel, high in the mountains above Baden Baden in Germany.

“When you choose your hotel you need privacy, because otherwise it would be chaos, and we have that here,” said the England boss.

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