bwin Sportsblog - Football - England Expects

England expects...........no not winning the World Cup but picking up crucial injuries prior to the tournament. So David Beckham is out of the World Cup. It is really sad for him but I am not convinced that it will harm England's chances any in South Africa. In the intensity of a World Cup, if Beckham's fitness is suspect then we need to know about this now. This sort of injury is not like the injuries to players like Ashley Cole or to Wayne Rooney or even Beckham himself in tournaments past. This injury has been specifically identified as an injury that players between 30 and 50 years of age are susceptible to. It is also closely related to wear and tear and a lack of rest. We may have a 23 man squad but that is broken down to separate positions and there are not that many players for each position. So gambling on any player is a gamble and Beckham would have been an impact sub at best. But having said that, players like Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright Phillips and Theo Walcott are all impact subs. They may not be able to deliver a ball like Beckham but they have other qualities. They also do not have the psychological barrier of losing major tournaments or losing penalty shoot-outs either. There is a lot to be said for playing without fear and that tends to come with youth. So while I am sorry that Beckham got injured, I don't think that England will miss him as much as what we would miss other players and it could even prove to be a blessing in disguise that he isn't going. Any side needs good cover in every position and taking passengers isn't on Capello's agenda and rightly so.