Gerrard ruled out of Germany clash

The midfielder, who played in his team's 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw against Chelsea on Sunday, was set to have an X-ray on his fractured toe. After assessing scans, the England medical team decided Gerrard would not be fit to feature for his country.

Like Gerrard, Tottenham striker Darren Bent was not required to report for duty because of a thigh problem. While Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves(knee) and Portsmouth defender Sol Campbell (groin) were assessed and have also been ruled out of contention.

One plus point for England boss Steve McClaren was the attendance of former England captain David Beckham at Monday afternoon's training session at London Colney.

The LA Galaxy midfielder had only just returned to England from the United States, but showed little sign of jetlag as he joined in training with other players.

The 32-year-old delighted several fans who had won a competition to attend the open session and also took some time out to chat with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

As well as the three goalkeepers, there were 13 outfield players of the remaining squad who took part in training, including strikers Peter Crouch and Michael Owen, as well as Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole.

However, the remaining players who were in action with their clubs on Sunday did not take part outside and instead underwent a recovery session as expected.

Doubts had been raised as to whether Beckham could cope with the demanding schedule of jetting back across the Atlantic. However, McClaren had every confidence the former England captain could take everything in his stride.

He explained: "I think David can combine playing out there and coming here. I understand everyone's concern about that - but the proof will be not just in his performances but also in training."