Middlesbrough defender Gareth Southgate is confident he will be fit for England's squad for Euro 2004. The 33-year-old has been sidelined since damaging knee ligaments in training earlier this month and it was feared he would miss this summer's European
Championships - as well as the remainder of Middlesbrough's Barclaycard Premiership campaign.
But Southgate insists he is making good progress and will be available to travel to Portugal. "Sven-Goran Eriksson has left the door open for me by saying he'll not announce the squad until the end of the season," Southgate said.
"That's a great encouragement in terms of my rehabilitation. I'm confident I will be fit for the finals in Portugal. It will just be a matter of whether they are ready to take me having missed
the last six matches of the season."
Filed by Ciaran Cronin
