The season has been very unsuccessfully for Beckham who made his debut in the MLS with a serious ankle injury which kept him on the bench for the most important games of the North American soccer. Now he won't be able to play in the qualifiers and will have to stay out of the fields while he recovers from the new injury.
The England team is already suffering the absent of the key striker Wayne Rodney of the Manchester United who has a fracture in his left foot. The absence of the soccer star leaves the team in a notable disadvantage against its contenders. England is currently fourth (14 points) with five games to play while Croatia and Israel have 17 points. England cannot afford to lose during the September qualifiers since only the two top ranked will win a place to the Euro 2008.
It is time for the England coach to make the best of what he has at his disposal since Israel and Russia have become troublesome contenders in the Group E. There is no doubt that players as prominent as Beckham can change the course of a game, however the physical problems of the celebrity should not affect the solidity of a team like England to step in the Euro 2008.