England and MLS are waiting with baited breath for the results of David Beckham's latest injury, a twisted knee suffered against Pachuca in the SuperLiga final on Wednesday. "A ligament strain is four to six weeks but we'll have to wait for the results of the scan on Friday," the 32-year-old Beckham said. "If it is four to six, I won't be flying to England." Becks said he went into the injury-inducing 50-50 challenge "a little light" to compensate for his tender left ankle. "I'd have been better off not doing it at all," he said. "Maybe it's a sign that I need a rest and don't come back until it's right."

Beckham's injury is yet more bad news for Steve McClaren and England, who will be without several key players for its crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia on Sept. 8 and 12. Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch, Kieron Dyer and possibly Steven Gerrard are also set to miss the matches.

Prior to his injury, Beckham told reporters that if England qualifies for Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, he would be in a better position than other players both physically and mentally, as the championship comes during mid-season in MLS rather than at the end of the nine-month long European campaign. "That is a big advantage of being in the USA, where the fixture calendar is different. It's also the advantage of the shorter season from April to October here," Beckham said. "If we make it to the finals, I will be a lot fresher going into games."

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