The race against time

Sven Goran Eriksson may have to confront the dreaded scenario of David Beckham being ruled out of England's opening two World Cup games. The England coach is still clinging to the hope that his captain will be able to start the opener against Sweden next Sunday, insisting that "if you believe hard enough, it will happen".

However, he has warned that he cannot afford to allow any special treatment as Beckham seeks to prove his fitness from a fractured foot. Beckham's recovery programme is thought to be behind schedule, with Eriksson having disclosed how the midfielder suffered a slight setback on Thursday due to overwork. It will not be until he has a further scan this week that there is a clear indication whether he has a realistic chance of being fit to face the Swedes or, indeed, the Argentinians.

Eriksson remains positive on the surface but he still discussed the possibility of his captain's non-participation if he is not fit for the group stage. He appreciates his talismanic qualities, admitting "you can have a very good player but you can't find anyone of the class of Beckham", but he knows he cannot carry passengers.

Eriksson, who also has major doubts over Kieron Dyer, admitted: "When you start the World Cup, you can allow one player who can't play the first match if you are almost sure he will be fit for the second. But if you have one or two players who won't be fit for the first or second games then it's very doubtful. After the second game, the World Cup can be over."

Referring to Dyer, Eriksson stressed if "we think he is going to struggle to play against Sweden or Argentina, it's very doubtful that he'd take part in the World Cup". Asked if that outlook also applied to Beckham, he replied: "If I have the guarantee that a player couldn't play against Sweden and Argentina, and maybe not Nigeria, I'd have to make the decision. But I don't think that will happen."

If it did happen? "That should be extremely bad for all the squad, for me, for himself and for the World Cup. It's like taking out Zidane, Raul or Figo."