Beckham out of World Cup confirms Capello

England manager Fabio Capello has confirmed football fans’ worst fears: David Beckham will miss this summer’s World Cup finals through injury.

Capello spoke to Beckham on Sunday night not long after the 34-year-old midfielder had ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing for AC Milan against Chievo.

"We have to wait for the results of the scan, but it looks like he is out of the World Cup," said the England coach, according to a report in the Sporting Life.

Beckham – England’s most capped outfield player of all time and arguably the most famous footballer of his generation – flew to Finland this morning to see Dr Sakari Orava, a world-renowned orthopaedic surgeon, and is expected to go under the knife later this afternoon.

Dr Orava said it would take a minimum of four months for Beckham to fully recover from his injury, ruling out the player’s hopes of competing in a fourth consecutive World Cup.