MARIAN PAHARS fears his dream of representing Latvia in Euro 2004 could pass by without him even stepping out on the pitch.

The diminutive Saints striker, Latvia's biggest sporting star, is still being dogged by niggling injuries.

Another min-or injury meant Pahars was forced to watch from the substitutes' bench on Sunday as Latvia completed their final warm-up friendly - a 2-2 draw with Azerbaijan - a week before facing the Czech Republic in their opening Group D match in Portugal.

When asked if he expected to start that game, Pahars said: "It's not easy to say at the moment.

"Not just because of my injuries, but the team is doing really well and there is hard competition for all the spots."

Despite his pessimism, the chances are that, if fit, Pahars will partner in-form hitman Maris Verpakovskis, whose goals have carried Latvia to their first major championship finals - but being fit is not guaranteed.

Although his current injury has not ended his chances of participation, it is the latest in a battle for fitness that has been going on since the summer of 2002 when Pahars was forced to have groin surgery.

He missed most of pre-season training that summer but returned for the opening games of the campaign before being struck down by a string of groin and ankle injuries that limited him to just eight starts and eight sub appearances - he scored two goals - for Saints in 2003/04.

Verpakovskis, meanwhile, is on fire at international level, having scored six goals in Latvia's qualifying campaign - including two against Turkey in the play-off victory.

If Pahars doesn't make it, Vits Rimkus will step in, having played in four qualifying matches and both legs against Turkey.

"He's been scoring in almost every game, and on a national team level this is very, very difficult," said Pahars of Verpakovskis, a potential surprise star of the tournament.

"There are very few players who can do that, apart from maybe Raul.

"I don't have to tell anyone about him - he's done it himself over the qualifying campaign.

"He has scored very important goals and without his moments we wouldn't have qualified."

If Pahars does make it then he will have the toughest of tests, with Latvia having been drawn in the hardest group - featuring Holland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

"Any team we face in the finals of a major tournament are a massive team for us," he said.

"We need to be on our very best and also the other team need to slip up a bit for us to win games.

"In that case we have a chance. It happened against Turkey in the play-off and against Sweden, so why not again?

"Obviously, we will not be the favourites but we are going to go out trying to win every game.

"Each game will be the biggest of our lives, and anything can happen."

Along with Anders Svensson, Pahars is one of only two Saints players competing in Euro 2004.