England defender John Terry is out of the Euro 2004 match against holders France on Sunday, coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said on Friday.

Terry has failed to fully recover from a hamstring injury and will not be risked in the team's opening Group B game.

"He trained a little with us today, then he did some fitness work and, hopefully, he will join in tomorrow," Eriksson told a news conference.

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"But it's too short a time (for France), we think it's dangerous to risk it."

"Probably he will not be fit for Sunday. We are sure that he will be fit for Thursday, the second game."

Terry's place is likely to go to Jamie Carragher or Ledley King. Eriksson said he had already decided on the replacement, but did not reveal it.

"It was a difficult decision but I think Carragher and King are both in good shape and did very well in practice sessions and in the games they played."

Eriksson said Terry's absence did not mean England would have to re-jig their formation against the European champions.

"The way we're going to play on Sunday we would have done even if Terry had been on the pitch," he said.

"It's a pity Terry is injured, we all know what a season he has had with Chelsea. But that's life in football and hopefully he'll be okay for the second game."

Eriksson had made it clear all week that he would not take any risks with Terry, given the other Group B games against Switzerland and Croatia.

Eriksson was already missing three central defenders for the tournament after Rio Ferdinand was banned for eight months for missing a drugs test and Gareth Southgate and Jonathan Woodgate were sidelined by injuries.