Beckham Ankle Injuy
Wednesday, June 2, 2004

Concerns about David Beckham’s indifferent form were last night replaced by worries about his fitness as the England captain revealed that an ankle injury, sustained while playing for Real Madrid in April, has severely restricted his training over the past fortnight.

Although he insisted that he was not a doubt for England’s opening match in the European Championship finals, against France on June 13, Beckham’s admission about his fitness will have caused some anxiety, particularly after injuries restricted his influence in the World Cup finals in Japan two years ago.

Asked if an injury was to blame for his indifferent performance against Japan last night, Beckham said: “Yes, there’s a bit of sensitivity with the ankle, which I cut a few months ago. When I cut it, there was a bit of an infection when he just caused it to be sensitive and that’s the way it is at the moment. I don’t think there will be a long-term problem, but I’ve been careful for the past week or so. I haven’t trained that much for the past ten days and I’ve had to be careful with it, but it won’t be a problem for the France game.”

The belief that everything will be all right on the night against France in Lisbon has formed the basis for much of England’s confidence before the finals, but Beckham acknowledged that a significant improvement will be needed if France, the reigning champions of Europe, are to be beaten on June 13. “We need to be a lot better against France,” he said. “But we will be up for it.

“People keep saying about this France team, and we will respect them, but that respect will go out of the window when we walk out on to that pitch.”

Less clear, after the unsuccessful deployment of Frank Lampard in the midfield holding role against Japan, is what personnel Sven-Göran Eriksson, the England head coach, will employ against France. It is thought that the final place on Eriksson’s teamsheet will be filled by Lampard or Nicky Butt, but Beckham implied last night that the system itself was not yet certain. “If we play it (the system again, that’s great,” he said. “If we don’t, we’ve had a good work-out. I don’t know whether it’s the best system to play against France, but we’ve played it before and, if that’s what it is, that’s fine.”

In view of Eriksson’s comments about fitness and the persistent memories of their collapse in the sun of Shizuoka against Brazil in the World Cup quarter-finals two years ago, Beckham was also asked whether there were grounds for concern about the condition of the squad as a whole. “No, that’s completely different,” he said. “The World Cup was very hot for the players. We weren’t used to it, but that won’t happen in Portugal.”

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