Beckham out as injuries mount for McClaren

STEVE McCLAREN is facing the very real possibility of heading into the biggest week of his short reign as England coach without Steven Gerrard and David Beckham.

McClaren already knew he would be without Wayne Rooney for the Euro 2008 Wembley double-header with Israel and Russia next month but further depressing news has landed on his door from either side of the Atlantic which threatens to rip the heart out of his midfield as well.

Already bedevilled by a lack of match practice among many of his senior players and a severe loss of form in others, McClaren awoke to discover Beckham had sustainedsuspected knee ligament damage in LA Galaxy’s SuperLiga trophy final defeat to Pachuca which could rule him out for six weeks.