Chile striker Esteban Paredes is in an unusual position at this World Cup - most of his country's fans will be hoping he won't play much.

That's because if Paredes plays, it probably means star striker Humberto Suazo has failed to recover from the thigh injury he picked up last week.

"I hope Humberto can play," said Paredes before Friday's training. "But if he's not available, then I'll step up or one of my teammates will. If I'm picked to play, I'll always go out there looking to score."

Chile opens Group H on Tuesday against Honduras at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

Suazo took part in light jogging, stretching exercises and some three-quarter pace sprints alongside most of his teammates at training Friday.

The squad appeared in good spirits, the players sharing jokes and laughing as they trotted round the training pitch at the Ingwenyama resort, near Nelspruit.

Striker Matias Fernandez and defender Waldo Ponce were the only absentees from training due to minor injuries. Both players worked in the gym as a precautionary measure but are expected to be fit ahead for the Honduras match.

Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa said Wednesday that Suazo would be available for Tuesday's match.

The match against Honduras could be the easiest for Chile, which also faces Switzerland on June 21 in Port Elizabeth and Spain on June 25 in Pretoria.

The schedule might allow Bielsa to keep Suazo, his team's top scorer in qualifying, on the bench to begin with before starting him in later matches when he is fully fit.

That would leave Paredes with an important role to play, and the striker from Chilean club Colo Colo said he was looking forward to the challenge.

"Honestly, it's a great pleasure. A chance to play has come along and I feel really up for it, calm and hopefully I'll do well," Paredes said.

Teammate Arturo Vidal, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, was under no illusions about what was expected against Honduras.

"We can't lose," he said. "That's the only thing that's not permitted."

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