UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins insists a pre-tournament target of three medals at the upcoming World Championships is still a realistic prospect for Great Britain's team in Osaka.

Great Britain collected a trio of medals at the last two editions of the event in Helsinki in 2005 and Paris two years earlier, and Collins insists 14 finalists and a similar medal return is a realistic prospect at the Nagai Stadium.

Commonwealth Games champion Kelly Sotherton and British number one Jessica Ennis are in contention to medal in the heptathlon, but face a strong field including all-conquering defending champion Carolina Kluft.

European Indoor champion Phillips Idowu, who like Sotherton is a Commonwealth gold medalist, is set to mount a challenge in the triple jump, while Great Britain's 4x100 metre men's relay team are expected to mount a serious challenge to the high-powered USA.

''The target is still obtainable, but to be honest it is a working target we set at the start of the season and our main aim here is for the athletes for perform to the best of their abilities,'' said Collins.

Idowu's chances of grabbing a place on the podium have been boosted after Olympic champion Christian Olsson was forced to pull out of the event after aggravating a hamstring injury during training on Monday.

But the Belgrave Harrier, who beat Olsson and all of his other rivals in Osaka at the Golden League meeting in Oslo with a jump of 17.35m, suffered a recurrence of a back injury in last month's trials in Manchester.

The 28-year-old had initially injured his back while finishing second at the European Super Cup League meeting in June.

''Phillips faces challenges that will need to be managed in the long term, but we and his coach are very pleased with his training as it has gone very well,'' said Collins.

Collins also revealed the majority of the Great Britain team are fully fit ahead of the competition, which starts today and insisted injuries would not be revealed after the Championships as an excuse for not meeting targets.

But conceded several athletes were battling with well-documented problems which have plagued their seasons to date.

''Everybody is fit and well, obviously we have had a season where a number of people have had limited preparations and apart from that everybody is well apart from the usual niggles,'' added Collins.

''To the best of my knowledge I am looking at a team where, apart from the situations which have been well advertised - for example Greg Rutherford coming out to prove form and fitness - everyone is fit.

''We are not looking at a situation where someone has come here and had a fall or a major incident. Apart from the problems and challenges which people have had throughout the season, I am not looking at a situation where somebody has come here and suffered an injury or one has got worse.

''There is approximately 20 per cent of the team that have suffered some limitations to their preparations over the last season.''

Collins revealed long jump prospect Rutherford is returning to his prime, but remained cautious over his chances of success in Osaka.

Rutherford underwent surgery on a troublesome ankle problem at the end of 2006 and was ruled out of the Indoor season, where he was expected to challenge at the European championships in Birmingham.

The 20-year-old returned to action in July in Tallin, but in his next meeting in Madrid suffered a hamstring tear, which was expected to rule him out of the trip to Osaka.

''Greg is as fit as a guy who has had the challenges he has had this season,'' added Collins. ''He is still working to get back from those. A completely fit Greg Rutherford would be a potent force."