Swiss Clash Takes on New Importance for England

After playing France with a 4-4-2 formation which was geared towards soaking up the attacking pressure the French thrive on, the Swedish coach will send his England charges out in his favoured diamond formation as England chases a win that will herald the real beginning the campaign.

England will have Paul Scholes back after an injury scare and the Manchester United star is poised to play the attacking role with Sunday's goal scorer Frank Lampard dropping back to act as the defensive anchor. Scholes came through a full training session on Wednesday, and the coaching team was pleased to reveal that he had recovered from the ankle injury he suffered against France.

The English are set for their first taste of the Portuguese afternoon sun in Coimbra. Temperatures have been steadily increasing in this region. But England won't be alone in playing in unaccustomed heat. Swiss coach Koebi Kuhn has been encouraging his team to wear support stockings, designed to stimulate circulation and combat the heat, as the Swiss look for their own ways to combat temperatures that have so far reached as high as 40 degrees for the first matches of the day.

"These things really help," defender Murat Yakin said at a press conference "They help stop swelling in the legs."

Both teams set to feel the heat

Despite the heat, the England team is expected to start the game with a more attacking brand of soccer in a bid to overwhelm Switzerland. There are dangers that they face burn out but Eriksson has dismissed fears that his team would suffer in the same way as their World Cup quarter-final against Brazil in Japan two years ago.

"It was more humid in Japan and the players will be able to cope this time," Eriksson said. "But it is very important that they drink water and keep drinking water. They will start doing that three hours before the game."

John Terry returns to the England defense after recovering from a thigh injury that put him out of the France game, despite Ledley King's fine display in the center-half position against France. The Chelsea captain will be experiencing his first experience of a major international tournament.

"I have trained for the last two or three days and am fit and raring to go now. I'm just hoping to play a part in the game," said Terry at the England press conference. "It's my first experience of tournament football so I'm just looking forward to it."

Eriksson wary of Swiss upset

Eriksson is aware of the importance of Thursday's match: "We will not under-estimate Switzerland. To do so would be very dangerous. They have nothing to lose. They are not favourites. If we think we can just attack with everything, it would be a big mistake because they are good on the counter."

When asked if his players were over the shock defeat against France, the England coach said that the chance for them to shine had come and that they all knew the consequences if they failed to do so: "They know if they don't do it in the tournament this time, they will have to wait two years and though many will still be around, some won't."

Henchoz warns of potential shock

Meanwhile Swiss defender Stephane Henchoz, who plays his soccer in England with Liverpool, has warned his adopted nation that a shock win for Switzerland is not an impossible scenario. "The England team knows they should have won (against France) and the pressure is now on them," Henchoz told reporters. "I don't think we have to win. We could take a draw and still be second in the group before the last game. It would be something amazing to win. To beat England would be great, but it will take a huge effort."

Despite his optimistic tone, the defender knows that respect is due and that England will come out with all guns firing. "We have to accept that England is a big football nation and that we are very small. But the pressure is on them, they have to qualify."

England: James, Neville, Terry, Campbell, Cole; Beckham (capt), Lampard, Gerrard, Scholes, Rooney, Owen.

Switzerland: Stiel, Haas, Mueller, M Yakin, Spycher, Wicky, Celestini, Huggel, H Yakin, Chapuisat, Frei.