Middle England without a leg to stand on

Beckham's chances of facing Sweden in opening match look bleak as Seaman joins casualty list

Invoking the kind of faith that has more in common with one of his predecessors than the cold, hard, pragmatist that has achieved him renown, Sven Goran Eriksson declared: "Sometimes if you believe hard enough it will happen." Such is the desperation that has been reached within the England squad and management as it waits, and hopes, for evidence that David Beckham's left foot can do more than provide an anchor for his right.

Yesterday, the England squad moved from their Korea headquarters to their World Cup base-camp, on Awaji Island here in Japan, with the England captain still not having dispatched a ball with his left foot and his chances of facing Sweden next Sunday virtually nil.

The Manchester United midfielder will require at least a week's work under England's Italian fitness coach Ivan Carminati before he can entertain participating in a game. That cannot begin until the medical personnel are convinced that the metatarsal bone which was fractured against Deportivo La Coruña less than seven weeks ago can take the strain of kicking. Indeed, even the likelihood of him being available to lead England against Argentina the following Friday is receding by the day.

Such a setback, of course, was of no consequence to the thousands of Japanese supporters who idolise Beckham from afar. They laid siege to him as he arrived with the rest of the party at Osaka Airport and, such was the commotion, police had problems controlling the crowd. Beckham was guided on to the waiting coach by security official Ray Whitworth after initially seeming to make a move towards the screaming horde. While his fans were kept well back behind barricades, extra police had to rush over to ensure that they did not manage to break through.

Would that the England captain has the opportunity to receive a similar response, and with the trophy in his hands, at the end of the tournament. But such a moment is a long way off indeed for Eriksson, who can scarcely have believed that he would be so beset with such an episode of injuries even before the competition starts.

Last night, as the England squad digested Danny Murphy's enforced departure as he became the third England player to suffer a metatarsal fracture after landing badly in training – following the same injury to Beckham and Gary Neville, it is beginning to look suspiciously like conspiracy – it was revealed that goalkeeper David Seaman was suffering a slight groin strain ahead of thismorning's friendly against Cameroon.

He joins a list headed by Beckham, which includes Kieron Dyer, Ashley Cole (not believed to be serious) and Nicky Butt who are all receiving treatment, with signs of optimism only surrounding the latter, who underwent his first full training session yesterday. In fact, Eriksson's encampment on the island of Cheju this week has been more resemblant of a M*A*S*H field hospital, a remnant from the Korean War, than a football team preparing for a major tournament. Except, in the Swede's case, the initials might well stand for Meeting All Sven's Hopes.

Unless there is a major improvement in medical bulletins this week surrounding Beckham and Dyer, the England coach will approach the Sweden game with the following choice of midfield: Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves, Joe Cole, Trevor Sinclair and, possibly, Nicky Butt. Of those, one possesses great potential but his international experience is limited and one has been clocking up the air miles and is unlikely to be in prime mental condition in the knowledge that he has been a discarded 24th man. If Butt is available, his fitness must be debatable.

The latest cut-off point for Beckham and Dyer, still recovering from damage to his left knee ligaments, before Eriksson selects his side to face Sweden, is Friday. But where the captain is concerned, Eriksson is determined that he should remain with the party, even if time runs out, such is his importance to squad morale.

Although Eriksson handles the issue in his typical sanguine manner, it is a dreadful dilemma. He is is aware that it is not inconceivable that Beckham could break down again, with repercussions not just to England's progress but his Manchester United career. Yet, his loss, in terms of presence, as well as a performer, would be too great to contemplate.

Progress is agonisingly slow and on Thursday Beckham suffered another small reaction. "It [his foot] was slightly swollen, because he's working too hard," said Eriksson, dismissing the problem. "He will kick the ball as soon as he knows that nothing will happen with that injury and in the meantime he will go on working. Once the bone is 100 per cent again we know that he will not break down. He may have another injury but not in the same place." Eriksson made it clear that he would only consider sending him home as a final option. "That would be very bad, of course. Extremely bad for England. For himself. And for the World Cup," he said. "It's like you take out Zidane, Raul, Figo."

Eriksson was asked whether England could survive the group stage without Beckham. "Maybe, maybe not," he said. "When you start a World Cup, you have one player who can perhaps not play the first game but you're almost sure he will be fit for the second, and that's OK. But if you have one or two players who will not be fit for the first or second game, then it's very doubtful. After the second game the World Cup can be over for you. It's like a penalty shoot-out. If you ask your two best penalty-scorers to take kicks four and five, it can be over by then if you don't score with your first or second attempts."

He adds: "They are progressing very well, all three, and particularly Nicky Butt. The other two, if they can't play football Thursday or Friday, we have to make a new decision. But I hope not. For the opening game of the World Cup you must be fit, you can't have someone who is 80 per cent because of the pressure on every player in a game like that. It should be a normal game, but it's not. It's not life or death, but it's vital."

It could all be worse. At least Eriksson has not been confronted by internal strife, like the Swedes or Irish. Team spirit appears unfractured, but Eriksson is not complacent. "We have it [spirit] today, but of course you have no guarantee that you will have it until the end. But it's very important. If you don't have the spirit you will not win games."

Neither will England do so if the quality continues to deteriorate as it has. Clearly, the FA will need to look at why England have accumulated so many injuries. It will inevitably be attributed in some quarters to too much football, and no mid-season break. As Gareth Southgate insisted: "Inevitably, if you get down to playing 50, 60 games a season, at some stage you're going to break down, whether it's now or later. It's just unfortunate that it's all happened in the space of six weeks."

Eriksson would probably concur with those sentiments. Now he can only believe that it will all turn out for the better – if he keeps faith. As the coach suggested wryly: "Luck owes me something at this moment."