Lampard expects to win fitness race

Frank Lampard expects to be fit for England's World Cup quarter-final clash with Portugal.

Frank Lampard expects to be fit for England's World Cup quarter-final clash with Portugal.

Lampard, 28, twisted an ankle in training on Thursday as Sven-Goran Eriksson prepared his team for the last-eight clash.

The Chelsea and England midfielder underwent treatment and expects to train as normal at the stadium in Gelsenkirchen today.

England planned to leave their Black Forest retreat and head north to Germany's industrial heartland.

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They were expected to check into their hotel in Essen and then train inside Schalke 04's Veltins Arena this afternoon.

Eriksson will make the final adjustments to his team and check on Lampard's fitness.

Gary Neville is fit after overcoming the calf injury which forced him out of the last three games.

Neville will return at right-back with Owen Hargreaves switching back into the holding role in Eriksson's five-man midfield.

This would mean no place for Michael Carrick, who started against Ecuador on Sunday.

Lampard, voted the world's second best player this year behind Brazil's Ronaldinho, has yet to hit top form in the World Cup.

The England midfielder, who scored five goals in the qualifying campaign, has unleashed a barrage shots in the finals but is yet to find the net.

He missed a sitter against Ecuador but Eriksson trusts him to recapture his goal touch.

Eriksson said: "I think he's been unlucky. He's had a lot of shots so far and that is good. It will come for him. It is not a big issue for me.

"The important thing in football is you create chances and are on the end of them. Sooner or later, if that happens you will score goals."

Eriksson's 4-5-1 formation, introduced against Ecuador, is designed to maximise the goal threat of Lampard and Steven Gerrard.