Adding injury to insult, Galaxy star David Beckham could be done for the season after spraining a ligament in his right knee during their SuperLiga final loss to Pachuca on Wednesday night.

The knock occurred half an hour into the Galaxy's penalty kicks defeat when the English midfielder was involved in a collision with Los Tuzos' Fernando Salazar.

After going full speed into a 50/50 challenge, Beckham hurdled through the air and laid face down on the grass for several seconds before slowly getting back to his feet to hobble to the sideline while signaling for a substitution. He was visibly frustrated, putting his face in his hands while trainers attended to the injury on the bench.

A scan to further evaluate the extent of the damage was scheduled for Thursday, but Beckham himself seemed to know what he was facing, telling reporters after the game: "At this stage, it's hard to tell, but it doesn't feel good. With a ligament strain, it's four to six weeks. We'll have to wait and see."

This latest setback comes as not only a blow to the Galaxy's already faint playoff hopes, but will also mean that the #23 shirt is out of the equation for England's pair of Euro 2008 qualifying games next month against Israel and Russia, crucial games that are already must-wins for Steve McClaren's crew.

The Galaxy have fallen into last place in the league standings with Real Salt Lake passing them by on Wednesday night. Los Angeles currently stands 13 points out of a playoff spot with just 12 games left to make up ground.

England is facing a similar situation, lagging behind Croatia, Israel and Russia with five games left to play in the qualification round. Only the top two teams from each group move on, meaning shorthanded England has much work left to do if they hope to advance.