England hit by Beckham injury blow

LOS ANGELES -- David Beckham fears he could be sidelined for up to six weeks with a knee injury picked up playing for Los Angeles Galaxy, leaving England coach Steve McClaren with another headache ahead of crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers.

The England midfielder suffered what he has described as a "ligament strain" in his right knee during his team's SuperLiga trophy final defeat against Mexican side Pachuca in Carson -- and is set to undergo a scan which will reveal the full extent of the damage.

Beckham sustained the injury in a first-half challenge with Pachuca's Fernando Salazar before limping off.

Beckham looks set to miss England's vital qualifiers with Israel and Russia on September 8 and 12 unless the scan brings good news.

Beckham said: "At the moment, we`re calling it a ligament strain, but in the morning I'm going for a scan to see exactly what it is and how long I'm going to be out. "

"This is an injury that takes four to six weeks to heal, but who knows, if the scan is not so bad maybe I`ve got a chance to play (for England). We'll know more on Friday." E-mail to a friend