![]() |
| You are in: Football: World Cup 2002 |
![]() | Beckham battles pain ![]() David Beckham is ready to defy injury to face Germany David Beckham insists he will play for England against Germany - even though he admits he will not be fully fit. Beckham trained at Wembley to ease fears about a knee injury he sustained against Arsenal last Sunday. Manchester United's influential midfield man was guarded about his fitness, despite the optimism surrounding his selection. He said: "My leg seems fine. I'm 95 per cent now and hope to be 100 per cent." But he later added: "I don't think I'm risking anything. I doubt I'll be 100 per cent but I'm happy to play." Beckham claimed England coach Kevin Keegan need have no worries about him, adding: "If I thought I might come off after 20 minutes, I'd tell him. "At the start of the week it was probably 50-50. I was struggling when I arrived on Monday, but I have had quite a bit of treatment and rest, and that's maybe what I needed.
Tony Adams, meanwhile, insists the honour of leading England out in the last match at Wembley will not deflect him from his task of helping Kevin Keegan's side securing victory over Germany. The skipper admits that Wembley has been "wonderful" to him as a player for Arsenal and his country, but warns that England have a job to do first. He said: "It's very special but there's no point going out there and saying `this a wonderful thing.' "But if we can go out and do a professional job and get the three points we can then look back and say `it was a wonderful thing I did that day'. "Things move on. It has been a wonderful stadium for me. It's the end of an era and I'm looking forward to maybe playing at a new one - but maybe I have run out of time for that. "Yes, I have some wonderful memories of there but I have got to do my job, concentrate on beating Germany and getting three points." The Arsenal captain has been troubled by injuries last season and this, but insists he is fully fit for Saturday's World Cup qualifier.
Beckham took part in the session at Wembley along with the rest of the squad, including Martin Keown and Kieron Dyer who had also previously had to rest minor problems. Keown limped away from Highbury last Sunday with what officials described as a "mild ankle sprain" and did not train in the first sessions. However, early indications would appear to suggest he will be ready in time to line up alongside club-mate Adams at the heart of the England defence against the Germans. Dyer, meanwhile, also seems to be in contention for a place - probably only on the substitutes' bench unless Keegan uses wing-backs - despite twisting his knee against Manchester City last weekend. | Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Other top World Cup 2002 stories: Links to top World Cup 2002 stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||
Links to other World Cup 2002 stories |
| ^^ Back to top | ||
| Front Page | Football | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Motorsport | Boxing | Athletics | Other Sports | Sports Talk | In Depth | Photo Galleries | Audio/Video | TV & Radio | BBC Pundits | Question of Sport | Funny Old Game ------------------------------------------------------------ BBC News >> | BBC Weather >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMII|News Sources|Privacy | ||