Argentina defender Roberto Sensini is in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup quarter-final against Holland in Marseille on Saturday. Sensini has missed Argentina's last two games because of a thigh injury, including the second round win over England.

Sensini, 31, Argentina's most experienced defender with 42 caps, is back in light training under the care of Angel Castro, Argentina's head physiotherapist. "I don't know if I will be fully recovered for Saturday, but we are doing all we can and I still have faith," said Sensini, competing in his third World Cup.

Sensini pulled a muscle in his left thigh against Jamaica in Argentina's first round game on June 21st. A week earlier he had dislocated a finger against Japan.

Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo said yesterday that he would stick by Bebeto, and resist the temptation to play Denilson from the start, for their quarter-final with Denmark. Zagallo insisted Denilson's qualities were better exploited when he came on during the game. "I think it is important to have Denilson on the bench so he can provide us with an alternative option in the second half," he said.

"Of course, nobody likes to be booed or substituted. But everybody likes Denilson and Bebeto suffers the consequences. Nobody wants Ronaldo to come off so when I want to make a change, it's always Bebeto who gets it."

Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz said yesterday he would listen to any good offers for the club's Croatia's Davor Suker. Suker, 30, has been in good form for his country at the finals and scored the decisive penalty for Croatia in their 1-0 second-round win over Romania on Tuesday, but he struggled for much of last season at Real Madrid. "I am convinced Suker wants to stay here at Real Madrid but we are open to offers," Sanz said.

World Cup fever may be infecting vast regions of the world but the event is leaving Americans cold: a survey published yesterday shows that only 19 per cent of the US population had watched a match on television. According to the survey, published in the Washington Post, barely 52 per cent of those polled knew that the World Cup was a soccer event and only 25 per cent knew it was taking place in France.