Kevin Pietersen has two warm-up matches this week to wipe away lingering concerns about his fitness before England begin their bid for a Twenty20 World Cup glory.

The star batsman missed last month's one-day series against West Indies because of an Achilles injury and sat out the squad's fitness drills at Loughborough yesterday. That suggests he is still not completely recovered from a problem which cropped up towards the end of England's Caribbean tour and before his brief appearance in the Indian Premier League.

Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood described Pietersen as "pretty much 100 per cent fit." But with a World Cup to be won, never mind an Ashes Urn to be reclaimed later this summer, home supporters will feel a lot happier about the team's chances if KP plays a full part against Scotland in Nottingham tomorrow and then again when England face West Indies at Lord's 24 hours later.

Referring to the warm-up matches Collingwood said: "We haven't finalised the team but KP will play a major part in all the games, I would have thought. He's raring to go, he's had a few weeks off and wants to get out in the middle, so I'll let him go out there."

The practice games against Scotland and West Indies will allow Collingwood and coach Andy Flower to look at their Twenty20 options before the hosts launch the tournament at Lord's on Friday evening against rank outsiders Holland.