Denmark called off their first training session for Saturday's Euro 2000 play-off against Israel after being offered the use of a bumpy, stony pitch near Tel Aviv's Ramat-Gan Stadium. "The pitch was riddled with holes and large bald areas of only grit and gravel," deputy coach Joergen Henriksen said.

"It would have been simply too risky to train there. I did not want to take the chance of any more players getting injured. The Israelis refused to find us another pitch to practise on."

Henriksen said Israeli trainer Schlomo Sharf declined to let the Danish squad train inside Ramat-Gan stadium because the Israeli team were playing a training match there against the national under-21 side and Sharf did not want the Danes spying.

"It did not matter as we were only going to have a 45-minute warm-up and workout after flying in from Europe," Henriksen said.

"We will be allowed to train properly in the stadium on a pitch as smooth as a billiard table today."

Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel and MSV Duisberg midfielder Stig Toefting, who are recovering from respective calf and leg injuries, are expected to play on Saturday, while Tottenham midfielder Allan Nielsen described himself as "50 per cent sure".