Striking difference puts Spanish hopes on a Raul

It would be stretching a point to say that not since the country went to war with Britain over Jenkins' ear has one part of one man's anatomy caused such a stir in Spain. But, for concerned Spanish fans, the case of Raul Gonzalez Blanco's thigh has been no laughing matter. On that collection of muscles rests a good deal of a nation's hopes.

From Santander to Cadiz, sangria will have been sunk at the news that the brilliant young Real Madrid forward is fit to face Norway tonight. The injury he sustained in helping his club win the Champions League final will not prevent him trying to inspire his country to a similar success. This could be some summer for a player who does not turn 23 until next week.

Asking the Spanish whether Raul is a genius is like questioning whether the earth is round. The man himself is quiet and unassuming but many are happy to blow his trumpet for him. Take the midfield metronome Pep Guardiola for a start: "For me, there's no discussion," he said. "He is the most important player in Spanish football, the one who is going to break records."

Even at a low-key training session in Tegelen, near the German border, it was easy in flashes to see why. Everything is done at pace and with intent. The tricks do not slither into over-indulgence.

Team-mates certainly like what they see. Raul offers not just talent but teamwork and guts. He has rescued Real on countless occasions when the cause seemed lost. "There are very few players who manage to impose themselves when conditions are against them," Guardiola, the Barcelona captain, said. "Raul is one of these exceptions. And in the area he's merciless; no one finishes like him.

"If I were a spectator, Raul would be my perfect player because nothing is more irritating than footballers who dribble when they should pass, who pass when they should dribble, who let it run when they should take a touch . . .

Fortunately Raul shows us how things should be done." Raul is two players rolled into one harmless-looking five feet, nine inches frame: a creator who often drops deep, yet also an instinctive scorer. His 32 caps have brought 16 goals. In 15 Champions League appearances last season he scored 10 times despite often adopting a deeper role than the one he occupies for his country.

Valencia goalkeeper Jose Canizares, who saw Raul slot number three past him in the Champions League final, suggests it is easier to read Sanskrit than Raul's intentions. "In the area he improvises like no one else," he said. "There are forwards who only play one note. They are the easiest to decipher for goalkeepers. Raul is indecipherable. He's got so many alternatives at his disposal that he's a nightmare for goalkeepers."

The Spanish desperately hope he will prove as much here. Despite racking up 42 goals in eight qualifiers, Spain have often struggled to kill off opponents. Jose Antonio Camacho made clear to his players his anger at their wastefulness against Sweden in a recent friendly. A 1-1 draw came courtesy of a penalty and since then mighty Luxembourg have been beaten 1-0.

Raul missed those games and a huge weight of expectation rests on his shoulders. With his club colleague Fernando Morientes controversially left out of the squad, he will probably operate behind the strapping Athletic Bilbao striker Ismael Urzaiz.

Few doubt that Raul can cope with the pressure. He made his Real debut at 17, played and scored at the last World Cup and has won two Champions League finals. He is renowned as a big-match player. His focus and confidence are legendary.

"He's got the self-control of someone who has lived three lives," said Jorge Valdano, his first coach at the Bernabeu.

Raul's first training session with the first-team squad at Real said it all. "He wasn't intimidated by anybody," said Canizares, who was then with Real. "In no time he was trying to take people on and nutmeg them. He was shameless."

If there is a worry for the Spanish public it is that tiredness will take its toll. Today's game will be Raul's 70th of the season. Was the injury a signal that a normally durable player has pushed his body too far? Two seasons ago Raul seemed in danger of harming his own career. His form dipped amid rumours about his private life and he admitted fame had affected him. But taking Real's advice, he found a steady girlfriend and settled down. His goals now are dedicated to his baby son Jorge and celebrated with a kiss of his wedding ring. When he visits old friends in a working-class are a of south Madrid he barely drinks.

Only during visits to the country to shoot and ride can Raul "lose" himself. But he is happy in his home town, worshipped by the thousands who stream into the Bernabeu and described by Real Madrid's president Lorenzo Sanz as "patrimonio" - part of the club's heritage. When Euro 2000 is over, Sanz hopes Raul will sign a contract for life.

His heart, though, was not always at Real. He began at Atletico, scoring 65 times in his first season as a boy. Only when the maverick president Jesus Gil shut down the youth team to cut costs did he move on. "Raul is my bete noire," Gil has admitted. By the end of this tournament plenty of defenders could feel the same way.