Becks might not finish the game

Sven-Goran Eriksson fears that David Beckham will not last 90 minutes against Argentina today.

England's talismanic captain managed only 64 minutes against Sweden on Sunday, and Eriksson is aware that fatigue could again force an early withdrawal.

The England coach said: "He's going to start - only the game will tell us whether he can finish. I hope he's fit enough to handle a big game like this and can stay calm. I'm sure he can. He's the captain and you expect a lot from him."

England's reliance upon a half-fit Beckham shows their stretched resources and substitutes could again play a part.

"We will have to see how things look during the game and how things are in the second half," Eriksson said. "I don't worry David won't last 90 minutes as we can't do anything about it."

A few England players expressed concerns last night about conditions inside the Sapporo Dome. Although the roofed stadium looked magnificent-the players noticed the lack of natural air in the air-conditioned surroundings had an affect on their breathing during exercise.

They could also feel the supporting boards underneath the moveable pitch when running. However, the temperature here is substantially cooler than at England's base on Awaji Island.

Meanwhile, the players have been practising penalties, which proved England's undoing in the World Cups of 1990 and 1998 as well as Euro '96.

This time Eriksson has left nothing to chance, with the players have simulated a shoot-out by walking from the halfway line before taking the kick.

Eiither Beckham or Michael Owen will take penalties should they occur during the 90 minutes today.

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