Beckham trip okay by Real

Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has confirmed David Beckham's trip to Rome on Friday was sanctioned by the club - and that the former England captain had returned to training on Saturday morning to continue his recovery from a knee injury.

Beckham travelled to Italy with wife Victoria to attend a pre-nuptial dinner with Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who married in nearby Bracciano on Saturday. It had initially been suggested that Beckham had defied Real in order to make the trip, while later reports declared the club had given the former England captain the green light to go.

"Beckham was in Rome with the permission of the club," said Capello. "On Saturday morning he was at Real Madrid City. We game him permission to travel, because the doctor said he could. He has not missed a single minute of his rehabilitation."

Beckham did not attend Saturday evening's wedding ceremony between Cruise and Holmes, with his wife representing the couple in his absence. Whether this whole episode will affect Beckham's future at Real Madrid remains to be seen.

Beckham has yet to sign a new contract with Real - and with his current four-year deal running out next summer, he will be free to talk to other clubs in January.

Real are keen to tie the midfielder to a new deal. But it is believed Beckham is waiting to see if he can reclaim his first-team berth before deciding whether to commit himself to the Spanish giants.

The 31-year-old has made just two full appearances so far this season, and has already admitted his frustration at his lack of first-team opportunities.

Should he decide to bring his Spanish adventure to an end, there would appear to be no shortage of offers for the former Manchester United man - with teams from England, Scotland and America all being linked to him.