Injured Beckham could miss World Cup

England captain David Beckham could miss the World Cup finals after breaking a bone in his foot during Manchester United's Champions League quarter-final against Deportivo Coruna on Wednesday.

Asked if he thought Beckham would play in the World Cup, United manager Alex Ferguson said: "I think it's doubtful".

"He will be disappointed. You saw the pain he was in. It has been an unfortunate tie for him but he is young, there will be other campaigns and he will play in the European Cup again."

"He has broken a metatarsus (bone) in his foot and will be out for six to eight weeks. It was a bad tackle but games of football are about tackles and the player had to go for it."

The injury, sustained in a tackle by Deportivo's Aldo Duscher 16 minutes into United's 3-2 win at Old Trafford, is a shattering blow to England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's plans.

England's first World Cup game is on June 2 against Sweden in Saitama, Japan, but under FIFA rules each country in the finals must name their 23-man squad by May 21.

If Beckham is not fit by then, Eriksson could name him in the England squad and hope he recovers in time to play in the later games.

England play Argentina on June 7 and Nigeria on June 12 in their two other group F games. If England reach the second round they will play that game on either June 15 or 16.

Beckham was taken to hospital for an x-ray after the tackle in the second leg match on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old went off clutching the same left ankle that was bruised by a late tackle from Deportivo striker Diego Tristan in the last minute of last week's first leg in Spain.

Beckham was playing at Old Trafford only after passing a late fitness test on the ankle but Deportivo coach Javier Irureta, who said he missed Duscher's tackle, denied his team had targeted the England man.

"I didn't see it from my vantage point but he has been unlucky facing us in the last two weeks and I'm sorry for what has happened and hope he recovers quickly," he said.

"We didn't single out Beckham for any special treatment. It was not the sort of tackle you expect from Tristan (last week) and we all hope David Beckham is back on the field for Manchester United soon."

United's 3-2 win gave them a 5-2 aggregate victory and a place in the semifinals against Bayer Leverkusen.

Earlier on Wednesday fellow-England player Michael Owen's feared broken foot was discovered to be merely bruising.