Soccer: Beckham fit to last after passing Keown tackle test

A World Cup that is already bereft of Ryan Giggs, Patrick Kluivert, Robert Pires and Roy Keane will kick off at 11 tonight with Zinedine Zidane also consigned to the sidelines. Thanks should thus be given to the many local deities that at least David Beckham and Fredrik Ljungberg should be fit to play when England and Sweden meet on Sunday.

Their probable participation in Saitama should enhance a match which otherwise threatened to resemble a mid-table Premiership clash. Without Ljungberg, Sweden lack flair, without Beckham, England have limited imagination.

He is now likely to line up on the right of a midfield quartet including his Manchester United team-mates Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt and, on the left, Emile Heskey.

It is a big improvement on the inexperienced combination which ended last Sunday's friendly with Cameroon. That read: Danny Mills, Joe Cole, Owen Hargreaves, Trevor Sinclair.

After training at Tsuna yesterday Beckham said the big breakthrough came four days ago. And it was not a visit to the locally famed footbath at the nearby Hachiman Shrine hot springs in Sumoto.

"I was due to do an afternoon session on my own, but I joined in the warm-up with the others," he said, adding: "I felt good so I said to the physio I would carry on and I went through most of the training. It was then I believed I would be fit."

The England captain, who will win his 50th cap, added he was confident he could last 90 minutes and cope with heavy tackles. To no one's surprise Martin Keown had been the first to test the latter theory out in training. "If you can get through that you can get through anything," said Beckham.

Referring to stories in last Sunday's newspapers he said: "It is always nice to prove people wrong. A lot of people did not think I would make it. Even last week I was supposed to be on the next plane home. That was a surprise when my mum rang me to tell me that."

A fortnight ago Beckham feared those predictions would be correct.

"I must have overdone it because the foot blew up which was worrying at the time. I had massage and ice and the swelling went down in a couple of days.

"There are no doubts in my mind now. I'd be playing on Sunday if it was a Manchester United game, it's not just because it is England.

"I've broken a bone so there will be a weakness there for two to three months, but I'll be wearing a protective strapping and, maybe, something on the boot."

Beckham admits there is always a possibility of his "overdoing it" and the physios have been careful to restrain his natural enthusiasm. There is a particular risk because Beckham usually does extra work on his dead-ball skills and he needs to practice taking free-kicks with the new World Cup ball.

Although they are provided by his sponsors, adidas, who pay Beckham an estimated seven-figure sum to promote their products, he was so eager to try it out he bought one himself rather than wait for a delivery of freebies.

"It moves all over the place," he said. "It must be a really light ball. That should be good for me but not for the goalkeepers."

The only thing that has discomforted Beckham in the last few days was the appearance, in English newspapers, of a snatched photograph of him sunbathing at the team hotel. As well as being upset by it giving the impression he was acting as if on holiday - "I've only spent about 20 minutes by the pool", he said.

Beckham was annoyed at what he felt was an infringement of privacy in an area the team felt they could relax. London's Evening Standard, who employed the photographer, was banned from speaking to Beckham yesterday.

Since Beckham conducted several interviews to accommodate different media markets this gave the Wolverhampton Express & Star, the only other regional evening paper represented in Japan, an unlikely one-on-one exclusive.

Though Beckham is widely regarded as publicity-seeking, and it is hard to deny the charge, the FA feel there are limits. In addition the incident came at a time when he was anxious to share the spotlight with his team-mates.

"It's unfair on them if it is all me in the papers," said Beckham. "Other players have also worked hard to get fit and to be here. It is now time to focus on the rest of the squad. They treat me as one of the lads and that is the way I like it."

The attention on Beckham at this World Cup is already intense. At his main press conference there were 15 television crews, including representation from Argentina and Sweden.

A hundred journalists had also been drawn to England's remote base by his allure. The last England player to receive such attention was Paul Gascoigne and Beckham was asked, as Gascoigne once was of Norway, if he had "a message for the people of Sweden". Gazza's reply was unprintable. The more publicity-aware Beckham settled for "thank you for our manager".

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