| World Cup countdown kicks off(China Daily/Agencies)
 Updated: 2006-03-01 06:14
  
 
 
 Left-back Wayne Bridge also has to prove himself worthy of a place on the 
plane having moved on loan to Fulham to ensure he gets regular football after 
spending the first half of the season sidelined at Chelsea.
 Amongst the England players there appears to be a genuine belief that they 
can go all the way in Germany, although doubts remain about whether Eriksson has 
really found a way of effectively meshing the similar styles of Lampard and 
Gerrard in the crucial central midfield departments.
 France, who will be relying on the experience of veteran star Zinedine Zidane 
in Germany, had a last-minute setback in their preparations for the Slovakia 
fixture.
 Chelsea defender William Gallas has a muscular problem 
in a leg and 22-year-old Nantes midfielder Jeremy Toulalan was called up as a 
replacement. 
 
 
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