England coach Steve McClaren has taken two major steps forward but two smaller ones back on the injury front ahead of Saturday's Euro 2008 showdown with Estonia.

McClaren is notoriously reluctant to formulate too many ideas over potential starting line-ups before he completes a body count on the first day at training.

But while tomorrow afternoon's session at Arsenal's London Colney is likely to have absentees in the form of Dean Ashton and Andrew Johnson, the probable presence of Michael Owen and Frank Lampard will leave McClaren feeling he has emerged from the weekend in good shape.

McClaren has indicated no immediate intention to draft in replacements for Johnson - who requires ankle surgery - and Ashton - who will almost certainly be ruled out with a knee ligament problem.

Having selected 27 players on Friday, he does not require any more numbers and Alan Smith can always provide forward cover for Owen, Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe - with neither of latter pair playing any part in the 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Tottenham - provided the Newcastle man recovers from a slight knock.

But it is the news surrounding Owen and Lampard, who completed the 90 minutes in Chelsea's win at Bolton, that will give McClaren an extra skip in his step.

The England coach always felt the vastly experienced pair would figure this weekend, but knowing they have done, and come through unscathed, is a major bonus - if not specifically for Estonia then for the trip to Russia four days later which will probably prove pivotal in the Three Lions' bid to reach next summer's finals.

Chelsea boss Avram Grant confirmed Shaun Wright-Phillips will have a check on a hamstring injury which kept him out at the Reebok Stadium but Lampard suffered no problems.

And Owen, who returned in fine style with a goal in Newcastle's 3-2 win over Everton at St James' Park, feels he might even have managed more than the 16 minutes he was given by Magpies boss Sam Allardyce.