LATVIA will wait until just before kick-off before deciding whether to field Saints striker Marian Pahars against the Czech Republic in their Euro 2004 opener today.

Pahars has been struggling with a groin injury since before coach Aleksandrs Starkovs named his 23-man squad to travel to Portugal.

Starkovs is keen to see the forward resume the partnership with Maris Verpakovskis that proved so successful in qualifying.

"Pahars is still preparing to play in the match," said Starkovs.

"Of course it is naive to think he will be normal again after three weeks but we want to use him if we can."

Latvia are by far the least expected qualifiers and, uniquely among the 16 finalists, are debutants in a major tournament.

Defender Mihails Zemlinskis admits that the Czechs will be tough opponents for the Baltic minnows.

"Unfortunately I am a defender so I have all the attacking players to worry about," said Zemlinskis, one of seven Skonto Riga players in the squad.

"There is (Jan) Koller, (Pavel) Nedved and (Tomas) Rosicky - we will have our hands full."

Just 12 months ago, Latvia looked unlikely finalists but they grabbed their unexpected place in the tournament by winning in Sweden in their last match to seal second place in the pool before eclipsing World Cup semi-finalists Turkey in a two-legged play-off.

Starkovs makes no bones about the size of the achievement for the tiny nation which has a population of 3.3million, of which a third are ethnic Russians who moved to Latvia during the days when it was part of the Soviet Union.

"Now the whole country is behind us," said Starkovs. "In Latvia this will be the main event of the year.

"I am not just talking about football but in the whole of life."

Starkovs insists his team never look beyond the next match - and that is what he believes has been instrumental in the success of the fledgling nation.

Part of the Latvian delegation is Englishman Gary Johnson, manager of Yeovil, who was Starkovs predecessor - the current boss worked as Johnson's number two.

Johnson recommended Pahars to Saints boss Dave Jones back in 1999 and was himself briefly linked to the St Mary's vacancy when Gordon Strachan announced his departure earlier this year.