Terry set Friday deadline

But Campbell, the 58-cap Arsenal defender, is untroubled by the prospect of facing the French without one of his regular defensive sidekicks.

"Of course everyone is hoping John will recover from his hamstring problem in time," said Campbell today. "There is no need to panic, though. Hamstrings are sensitive injuries and there would be no sense in risking him if there is any doubt about his fitness.

"I guarantee that whoever plays will do their best for the country. Jamie and Ledley have both had good seasons and are used to playing against top-level strikers.

"They've both played against Thierry Henry. They know all about him. They know he can go past you on either side so the key is not to allow yourself to get in a position where you're one-on-one with him.

"We've had injury problems in the squad and you have to overcome them. I'm pretty relaxed about it."

Campbell has played only once with Carragher - the first half of Saturday's 6-1 win over Iceland - but is far more familiar with King's game.

They were team-mates at Tottenham before Campbell joined Arsenal, and they played together briefly in the 1-1 draw with Japan last week.

With five caps but only one start, King is the less experienced of the two. But he showed maturity and composure in the 1-1 draw in Portugal in February when he scored.

Both were once regular members of the England Under-21 team - Carragher has a record 27 caps - but at 26 the Liverpool defender is three years older than King and has a wider range of experience.

Michael Owen has no doubt his Liverpool-colleague is shrewd enough to cope with Henry. "Jamie is one of the most intelligent defenders I know," he said. "You can ask him to play almost anywhere and know it would take him just a couple of seconds to settle in and do a good job.

"I know we've had a few problems with injuries at the back but I still think we have a fantastic defence."

Fantastic might be overstating it. In the 18 matches since the 2002 World Cup England have kept just four clean sheets. Compare that to the French, who haven't conceded a goal in their last 11 matches.

Henry scored a hat-trick against Liverpool in April, leaving Carragher in his wake, sitting on the pitch, on one occasion. King had more success playing against the elusive Frenchman, twice ensuring he failed to score against Spurs during Arsenal's record-breaking run last season.

Phil Neville believes the competition to replace Terry highlights the strength in the squad. Neville, who is likely to be a substitute against France, said: "There's two players for every position. That's why we have been getting such high-quality performances when it counts."

It's always unwise to rush the victim of a hamstring strain and, with two further qualifying matches ahead, the England coach could save Terry for those clashes with Croatia and Switzerland.

As two nations progress from each qualifying group, a victory over France may not necessarily be a requirement. A draw would probably satisfy both coaches and Eriksson's line-up may reflect that thinking.

A defeat, though, would put England under pressure and that's why the Henry factor needs careful consideration. "He's taken striking to a new level," admitted Owen. "I don't think there's another player like him in the world."