thelostone
15-03-2010, 10:35 AM
David Beckham's dream of playing in a fourth World Cup looks to be over after he tore an Achilles tendon in AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday.
He was unchallenged when he suffered the injury and hobbled off before being carried away on a stretcher.
The 34-year-old will fly to Finland on Monday for specialist surgery.
Beckham hoped to be part of England's World Cup squad but coach Fabio Capello conceded the midfielder's hopes of making the finals in June appear over.
"We have to wait for the results of the scan but it looks like he is out of the World Cup," he said in a statement. "I spoke with him after the game on Sunday night to offer my support, as did Franco Baldini.
"David is a great professional and has worked very hard to be ready for the World Cup, so missing it will be a big blow." Beckham, who is in his second loan stint with Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy, will almost certainly not be fit for the tournament in South Africa, which starts on 11 June.
He is scheduled to arrive in Finland at 1200 GMT on Monday to undergo surgery at the Helsinki clinic of knee specialist Dr Sakari Orava.
Dr Orava gave a bleak outlook of Beckham's hopes of recovering in time for the World Cup, explaining that it would likely to be the middle of June before he can resume training and at least another month before he can return to action.
"To start kicking and playing football will take about three months," stated Dr Orava. "For maximal performances and maximum kicks and jumps, maybe it takes one month more, three to four months before one is able to do light playing.
"It's a total tear of the Achilles tendon. If there is any weakness then a graft can be taken from the calf and put over the injury site to make it stronger. This kind of procedure is planned. "Today we allow patients to do motion earlier than before. In this case we try to get motion back as soon as possible. The operation takes less than one hour.
He was unchallenged when he suffered the injury and hobbled off before being carried away on a stretcher.
The 34-year-old will fly to Finland on Monday for specialist surgery.
Beckham hoped to be part of England's World Cup squad but coach Fabio Capello conceded the midfielder's hopes of making the finals in June appear over.
"We have to wait for the results of the scan but it looks like he is out of the World Cup," he said in a statement. "I spoke with him after the game on Sunday night to offer my support, as did Franco Baldini.
"David is a great professional and has worked very hard to be ready for the World Cup, so missing it will be a big blow." Beckham, who is in his second loan stint with Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy, will almost certainly not be fit for the tournament in South Africa, which starts on 11 June.
He is scheduled to arrive in Finland at 1200 GMT on Monday to undergo surgery at the Helsinki clinic of knee specialist Dr Sakari Orava.
Dr Orava gave a bleak outlook of Beckham's hopes of recovering in time for the World Cup, explaining that it would likely to be the middle of June before he can resume training and at least another month before he can return to action.
"To start kicking and playing football will take about three months," stated Dr Orava. "For maximal performances and maximum kicks and jumps, maybe it takes one month more, three to four months before one is able to do light playing.
"It's a total tear of the Achilles tendon. If there is any weakness then a graft can be taken from the calf and put over the injury site to make it stronger. This kind of procedure is planned. "Today we allow patients to do motion earlier than before. In this case we try to get motion back as soon as possible. The operation takes less than one hour.