TEGELEN, Netherlands, June 11 (Reuters) - Raul Gonzalez provided Spain's Euro 2000 hopes with a boost on Sunday as he declared himself fully fit and looking forward to a clash of styles with Norway.
The Real Madrid forward has been out of action since sustaining a thigh injury in Real's Champions League Final win over Valencia on May 22.
After he was treated with an ice-pack during training on Saturday there had been renewed fears that he could miss his side's opener against the Norwegians in Rotterdam on Tuesday.
But following a leisurely training session at the team hotel on Sunday he appeared relaxed and confident and he is clearly looking forward to his first game in three weeks.
'I feel absoultely fine, 100 percent,' Raul revealed from Spain's hotel in Tegelen. 'I've had a week's training with the rest of the squad and I'm at the same level as everyone else. There'll be no problem about fitness for the Norwegian game.'
In recent warm-up matches against Sweden and Luxembourg, Spain have looked goal-shy without Raul, who at 22 already has two European Cup wins and 16 international goals under his belt.
With him back in the side Spain will start as strong favourites to win their opening match and take an important step towards the Quarter-finals but the player was at pains to stress the task that awaits them against an in-form Norwegian side.
'Norway are very disciplined and ordered in their play,' said Raul. 'Not just in defence but in the midfield and attack as well. They're a very good side. From my own personal point of view, I know it's going to be very difficult to score against them.
'They press very well and give you few opportunities on the ball. We just have to try and do them as much damage as possible.'
Raul and the rest of the Real Madrid players in the Spanish squad came up against several of the likely Norwegian team in two tough games against Rosenborg Trondheim in their successful Champions League campaign but he picked out two English-based players as the ones to watch on Tuesday.
'Norway's two most dangerous players are (Ole Gunnar) Solskjaer and (Tore Andre) Flo,' said Raul, who will be playing his first European Championship finals. 'They're the ones who can really hurt us.
'In terms of the defence, it seems to be more of a team effort. They work together as a group and we'll have to be attentive if we want to hit them. In terms of their style of play it's not really a question of whether it's to our taste or not.
'They've been very successful playing the way they do and they enjoy that way of playing.
'Maybe they don't pass the ball around through the midfield as much as some other sides but it's the way they know and it works for them. I think they have an excellent chance of qualifying for the Quarter-finals.'