Frankfurt, Germany (My Sportsbook) - England will try to recapture tournament glory for the first time in 40 years as the team opens the 2006 World Cup against Paraguay on Saturday.

Saturday's match is the first of three on the day's schedule and the first Group B match of the tournament. The meeting between England and Paraguay could be one of the group's more competitive matches.

Both teams have a history with each other that dates back to 1986, when England secured a 3-0 win in World Cup. The two teams also met in a friendly match in April 2002 which again went in favor of England, who won, 4-0.

England enters the match with plenty to work towards in this year's World Cup. After previous tournaments of consistently falling short, this year's English squad is considered by many to be one of the best.

The overall group favorite is led by captain David Beckham. From the start to the finish of the World Cup, England will rely on a well rounded roster on both sides of the ball. Gary Neville and John Terry will control the defensive line, while Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard will take hold of the middle part of the field.

Up front, England has some of Europe's most talented strikers in Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and Peter Crouch. On Wednesday, the striker was given the all clear to play in the World Cup after a CT scan revealed he had recovered from a fractured right foot. Rooney had remained a question mark since his April 29th injury in a Premiership match with Manchester United.

Despite the good news, Rooney is still not expected to make an appearance in Saturday's match.

"Now it is up to us to get him match fit and I am prepared to take in any specialist we, or Manchester United, want to take in," England coach Sven- Goran Eriksson said in a statement.

Jermain Defoe, who would have been Rooney's replacement, is expected to return to England after training with Germany.

As for Paraguay, a growing list of injuries has caused concern for the team entering its first tournament match. Paraguay is already without striker Jose Cardozo, and could be without Roque Santa Cruz.

But regardless of the possible absences, Paraguay still remains a threat to the England squad. In a group that includes a tough Sweden team, a win on Saturday could be a preview of at least one of the team's to advance to the round of 16.