Gerrard Itching To Get Started

England captain Steven Gerrard insists the whole squad are itching to get started ahead of Monday's Euro 2012 opener with France.

England kick off their campaign in Donetsk on Monday looking to get off to winning start in Group D.

Roy Hodgson's men flew into Donetsk on Sunday from their training camp on Krakow and Gerrard is adamant they are ready for the challenge of taking on in-form France.

"The squad is really happy, we travelled this morning, and we are looking forward to training later," said Gerrard.

"We will be ready for the French on Monday.

"The spirit in the camp is fantastic. The preparation has been fantastic and we are itching to get started."

Gerrard also played down fears that England's players could be affected by the hot and humid conditions in Donetsk and the fact they have been forced to travel to Ukraine for the game.

Forecasts suggest Donetsk is set to hit a high of 34C on matchday, but Gerrard insists it will not affect the players.

""Yeah, it's hot but it's hot for both teams. We won't use the heat and the conditions as an excuse," added Gerrard.

"To echo what the manager said, the journey was a two-hour flight, which is exactly what we do for European games at home.

"Lots of the players have European experience."

Gerrard remains confident England can enjoy a successful tournament despite admitting losing the likes of Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry to injury was a major blow

"People say there is less pressure because of the injuries but what we've got to do as players is share the responsibility around the group," continued Gerrard.

"Any squad would miss the likes of Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Gary Cahill but you have to cope.

"Other squads are suffering similar things. You have to cope and get on with it and we're really confident we can do well in this competition."