European: Euro 2004 Group B

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has ruled midfielder Owen Hargreaves out of Monday night's Euro 2004 final group game against Croatia.

However, Eriksson revealed his optimism that knee-injury victim Nicky Butt could yet be fit to play again in the tournament if England reach the semi-finals.

Butt will nevertheless miss Monday's game in Lisbon and he has been joined on the sidelines by fellow midfielder, Hargreaves, who has been suffering from a stomach upset.

Wayne Rooney netted a brace and Paul Scholes ended his three-year wait for an international goal as England booked a quarter-final showdown with hosts Portugal at Euro 2004.

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France were given a scare by Switzerland, but eventually booked their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004 with an edgy 2-1 victory in Coimbra.

Knowing they needed only a point to be certain of a quarter-final spot, the defending champions invited the Swiss onto them early on, and Kobi Kuhn's men nearly took advantage.

Henry was booked straight after the restart for diving in the Swiss penalty area but he shrugged off his frustration to capitalise on a Louis Saha flick on 76 minutes and slot home to put France back in front.

And a magnificent solo effort on 84 meant Henry finished a frustrating night with a brace to his name and means France will meet Greece in the last eight.

Sven-Goran Eriksson is hoping that England will have a clean bill of health for Thursday's Euro 2004 quarter-final against Portugal.

John Terry and David Beckham sustained knocks during Monday night's victory against Croatia and have emerged as England's main fitness concerns.

But Eriksson expects both players to train fully on Wednesday, even if he will have to wait until after that session in the Estadio da Luz before he can finalise his line-up for the last-eight clash.

France coach Jacques Santini believes his players have finally exorcised the ghost of their miserable 2002 World Cup campaign.

Les Bleus can now focus on the knock-out stages of Euro 2004 after beating Switzerland 3-1 to top Group B and are hoping to improve even further on their record of having won four of the last five tournaments they have contested.

Santini was not in charge two years ago when the French surrendered without winning a game or scoring a goal under his predecessor Roger Lemerre.

Once again France have been cast in the role of defending champions but under the Tottenham-bound coach they look more like the team that won the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and the last two Confederations Cups.

France defender Willy Sagnol has a fractured left arm and is likely to miss the rest of Euro 2004, the team's spokesman said Tuesday.

France has further injury worries with midfielder Patrick Vieira (thigh strain) and defender William Gallas uncertain to face Greece in Friday's quarterfinal showdown in Lisbon.
"According to team doctor Jean-Marcel Ferret, Willy Sagnol's participation in the rest of the tournament is uncertain," spokesman Philippe Tournon told reporters. "We are pessimistic."

Sagnol injured his arm in Monday's 3-1 win over Switzerland, while Arsenal captain Vieira and Chelsea's Gallas also picked up knocks.

Sven-Goran Eriksson declared his determination to take the national team to World Cup success in 2006 but admitted that England fans would now hold his fate in their hands.

Apart from the inevitable depression in the wake of yet another penalty shoot-out setback, Eriksson had no regrets at his own decisions during last night's defeat by Portugal.

Indeed, with the emergence of Wayne Rooney as a potential world star, the England coach was trying his best to be positive about the future.