By Steve Vickers BBC Sport, Harare

Injury could keep Mwaruwari out of the Nations Cup team

Zimbabwe's Warriors will commence their 2004 Nations Cup preparations on Monday, when a training camp begins in Harare.

Manager Sunday Marimo will be looking for a replacement for France-based striker Benjamin Mwaruwari, who is unlikely to be fit for the tournament.

Mwaruwari, who plays for French club Auxerre, had a groin operation.

A proposed camping period in England was called off due to financial constraints but the Nations Cup debutants will play a series of friendly ties between mid-December and 17 January.

They travel to Botswana for a game on 13 December and subsequently play home games against El Salvador on 21 December and Zambia on 11 January.

Their last warm-up tie will be against Nations Cup hosts Tunisia on 17 January, a week before the commencement of the finals.

Marimo's provisional 45-man squad include South Africa-based striker Wilfred Mugeyi, who has been recalled to the national squad after an absence of over three years.

Other forwards receiving their first call-ups from Marimo are Alois Bunjira, who plays for Wits University in South Africa and Joel Lupahla of AEP Paphos in Cyprus.

The Warriors' first-time qualification for the Nations Cup finals has attracted increased financial support from the government, with a record amount being allocated in the national budget for the prosecution of the Tunisia 2004 campaign.