© Reuters 2002

BISHAM ABBEY, England, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Gary Neville says he is pleasantly surprised to be back in the England squad so soon after his foot injury but does not expect to walk straight into the team for Saturday's European championship qualifier against Slovakia.

Neville, a regular choice at right back in recent seasons, broke a bone in his foot on the eve of the FIFA World Cup" in June and missed England's run to the quarter-finals in Japan.

He has only just returned to first-team action for Manchester United but England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has hinted he may throw Neville in from the start in Bratislava and four days later against Macedonia in Southampton, despite the solid form of replacement Danny Mills.

"I've only played a couple of games for United," Neville told reporters at England's training camp.

"If you'd asked me this time last week, prior to the Olympiakos (Champions League game), I think I said these two England games were a million miles away because obviously I've not played for such a long time.

"But I'm delighted to be here and looking forward to training with the team over the next week."

Neville, capped 52 times by England, played down talk of a rivalry with Leeds United right back Mills, an impressive performer during the FIFA World Cup" who has made the right back slot his own in Neville's absence.

"I thought he did as well as everybody else (at the FIFA World Cup")," Neville said diplomatically. "I thought they all did well.

"It's not a case of me thinking I should be back in, that's out of my hands. It's down to the manager whether he wants me straight back in.

As I said, I was pleasantly surprised when the squad was announced on Sunday and I saw I was in.

"It's not down to me it's down to Sven-Goran Eriksson. All I can do is try to impress him. I'm not the England manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson is and whether I play is down to Sven and (Manchester United manager) Alex Ferguson. it doesn't matter what the rest of us think.

"I've got to go along with it. It's a case of if you are in the team you do your very best, if you're not in the team you get behind the lads who are in the team. That's the way it's always been."