GELSENKIRCHEN, June 11 - Czech striker Milan Baros faced a late fitness test on Sunday ahead of his team's opening World Cup game against the United States on Monday.

The 24-year-old forward returned to training after missing most of it since injuring his foot in a friendly just over a week ago.

"I don't know, our doctors don't know. I don't want to put (the chance he will be fit) as a percentage," coach Karel Brueckner told reporters ahead of the training session in Gelsenkirchen.

"His situation is the same as yesterday."

Brueckner, who had previously said he would make a final decision of Baros's fitness on Sunday, said he would not risk playing him unless he was completely fit, and had other options.

"If the player is not 100 percent fit, we will not risk his health," Brueckner said.

NATURAL CHOICES

Baros could hardly even jog this week and the only real training he was able to do was cycling.

"(In case he misses the game), I am 100 percent decided about his substitution."

He did not say who the replacement would be, however.

If Brueckner decided to stick to his usual 4-4-2 formation, natural choices to partner the towering Jan Koller would be Marek Heinz and Jiri Stajner.

The coach has also not ruled out playing Koller as a lone striker, and commentators have pointed to attacking midfielder Libor Sionko -- who received a last-minute call-up to replace the injured Vladimir Smicer -- as a possible starter.

The absence of Baros, top scorer in Euro 2004, would be bad news for the team appearing in the tournament for the first time since splitting from Slovakia.

Not that they lack an attacking spirit if he is not there, with midfielders Pavel Nedved and Tomas Rosicky both proven goal scorers. Koller holds the Czech Republic record for number of goals with 42.

Baros aside, the Czechs are in a considerably better position injury-wise than they were just a few weeks ago when there were question marks over, among others, Koller, Rosicky and captain Tomas Galasek. All are now fully fit. The Czechs also play Italy and Ghana in Group E.