Sven: 'beckham is Ready for Sweden'

David Beckham is expected to be fit for the World Cup opener with Sweden on Sunday after coming through an intensive session of running and taking free-kicks this morning at England's training camp in Awaji.

The England captain will resume full training either later today or on Wednesday, and coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is confident he will be fully recovered from his broken foot injury for the match in Saitama.

"David did a session this morning and he did everything - free-kicks, corners, a lot of shooting and running and he felt no pain at all," Eriksson confirmed.

"He will now hopefully join in with everyone else on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday and, if there is not a reaction after that, then he will be ready for Sweden.

"Is it a risk to play him against Sweden? I don't think so. If things go as we think they will then, yes, he will start."

Eriksson added: "I do not think that tackling will be a problem although maybe on the first day he will not do that with his left foot.

"But I think that will not be a problem. I think he will be able to tackle okay and he has to play normal football to be ready for Sunday."

Eriksson admitted: "Of course we have a lot of options for the right-sided position. We can play other people there - but there is not another David Beckham.

"What he brings to us with things like free-kicks and corners and set-pieces helps a tremendous lot."

But the news is less good for Kieron Dyer, who is still struggling to prove that he can be part of Eriksson's final 23 after suffering a knee injury on the final day of the season.

Eriksson confirmed Dyer was now the only person who was a significant doubt to face the Swedes and knows he has to decide soon whether to select the Newcastle player or draft in a replacement.

He said: "In terms of a decision, we have to decide on Thursday or Friday to decide whether to keep him here or not."

Blackburn midfielder David Dunn and Leeds striker Alan Smith, who has also been playing in a wide role, are ready to answer the call if Dyer fails to win his fitness fight.

Nicky Butt (knee), David Seaman (groin) and Robbie Fowler (hip) are all set to take part in full training tomorrow afternoon.