Sven-Goran Eriksson insists he will be the man to take the final decision on whether or not Wayne Rooney plays against Trinidad and Tobago.
Eriksson believes Rooney is "match-fit" and ready to play some part in this evening's Group B game in Nuremberg.
The striker will not start the game but Eriksson will decide before the kick-off whether to bring him on at some point, from the bench.
Asked if the final decision would be his, Eriksson said: "It must be. But I will decide tomorrow. It depends how I sleep."
Rooney has been out for 61/2 weeks with a broken foot and resumed full training less than a week ago. There were suggestions in Nuremberg yesterday that the independent medical experts involved in Rooney's foot scan last week were on their way to Germany. The Football Association refused to comment on this.
When asked specifically if orthopaedic specialist Angus Wallace was flying out, Eriksson said: "I have no comments about that."
Wallace and Chris Moran, both of Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, were expert advisors used to help the FA and Manchester United reach an agreement on Rooney's foot injury.
United were invited by Eriksson to send them out to examine Rooney again in Germany if the club wanted an independent opinion before their player made his comeback.
Earlier this week, FA sources were saying Wallace and Moran would not be in Germany before Friday.
Rooney is desperate to play and the England manager has seen enough from him in training to be believe he is ready.
Eriksson said: "He has looked very good in training, excellent. He told me he was match-fit three weeks ago. He has been into all the challenges, tackles, full contact."
Rooney's participation is not the only decision Eriksson must make. Gary Neville is a major doubt after pulling out of training yesterday with a calf injury.
He was sent for a scan and the England boss will discuss the results with his medical team before the game.
Eriksson hinted that he would not play against Trinidad and Tobago but he did not expect it to rule him out of the entire competition. Jamie Carragher and Owen Hargreaves are the contenders for the right-back slot.
Eriksson said: "They have a very good left-winger who is very quick.
"Hargreaves is maybe quicker than Carragher but I've never seen Carragher beaten in a run. He is clever and takes up good positions."
The clearest indication of Eriksson's intent is that Carragher stood in for Neville against Jamaica, earlier this month, when the Manchester United skipper had a hamstring problem.
Carragher for Neville is likely to be the only change from the team which started the 1-0 win against Paraguay on Saturday.
Trinidad and Tobago started their first World Cup campaign with a 0-0 draw with Sweden and Rio Ferdinand believes that will prove a handy warning for England.
Ferdinand said: "You know there are banana skins out there. I think the best thing that could have happened for us was for them to get a result against Sweden. If that is not enough of a wake-up call then I don't know what is."
England needed an own goal to beat Paraguay on Saturday in their first Group B game.
Ferdinand admits it was not a classic performance but said the fans he spoke to afterwards agreed the result was all that really mattered.
Ferdinand said: "Maybe you would have wanted your country to put on a better show and send out a stronger message to other countries but, as a fan, results mean everything.
"When we were out in Baden-Baden no-one mentioned the performance. All they said was 'good result'. The fans would have us play like that every game if we won the tournament and I would be the same."
England's players are mobbed by football fans whenever they emerge from their Black Forest hideaway for a stroll in Baden-Baden, the nearest town.
Ferdinand said: "You go into the town and it's manic. You understand why because it's World Cup time and you sign autographs happily.
"You would like to be able to sit down and have a cup of coffee and a good chat with your mates.
"But that's part and parcel of being in the World Cup."
