Hard man Duscher: I'm not sorry

He said: "We didn't single out Beckham for any special treatment. I didn't see the incident from my vantage point, but what I can say is that David has been unlucky facing us the last two weeks.

"I hope he recovers from it quickly and I am genuinely sad for what happened."

Beckham's likely absence from this summer's World Cup finals would have huge repercussions in co-host country Japan and especially in the city of Saitama - England's venue for England's opening match against Sweden.

The local J League team, Uwara Reds - who are nicknamed the Red Devils - model themselves on Manchester United and their supporters are just mad about Beckham.

FA communications manager Adrian Bevington has just returned from a trip to

Japan and he admitted: "There is no doubt David would be the highest profile player in the tournament, bar none.

"Everywhere I went in Japan I was asked about him, but in Saitama, they wanted to know everything about him.

"Michael Owen was second, but the England captain was way out ahead in the popularity stakes. I met supporters' representatives and they assured me the vast majority of the people inside the stadium when we play Sweden will be supporting us. In a crowd of 60,000, that should be to our advantage." Beckham's popularity would have inevitably been a big headache for the FA's security staff, but his probable absence would provoke huge disappointment throughout Japan, where Premiership matches are shown regularly on television.

His appeal in Japan has obviously been significantly enhanced by his marriage to pop star Victoria 'Posh Spice' Adams and, should he not recover in time from the foot injury, his absence will considerably lessen the spotlight on England during the tournament.