What a difference a week makes...At Old Trafford last Wednesday David Beckham received a standing ovation at the club whose fans still hold him dearly to their hearts.
Fast forward a week and Beckham was leaving the San Siro, his adopted home away from the Hollywood Hills, with more tears in his eye - this time with his World Cup dream over.
"It's snapped! It's snapped", he is reported to have let out after he hobbled to the sidelines: two years of perilous hard work was in a instant rendered obsolete.
But how much of a set back is this for Fabio Capello's England and which, if any, midfielder should replace him?
Firstly, Capello's willingness to include Beckham in the squad against Egypt and his periphery role during qualification suggests that his ticket to South Africa was all but stamped.
But his role at the World Cup would have no doubt been as a substitute, used in the latter stages matches to either bombard the oppositions penalty box with trademark deliveries, or make use of his ball retention abilities to maintain possession.
The truth is England have lost a fringe player.
But in Beckham, with 115 caps to his name, Capello had a player he could turn to when an experienced head was needed and someone to show the younger players the way.
His injury has also reopened the case for the fragility of England's midfield - not to mention goalkeeper, defence and Wayne Rooney's strike partner - and who should take his place.
Optimists will say that if a fit Aaron Lennon and a resurgent Theo Walcott and Shaun Wright-Phillips are in the squad the memory of Beckham on the right flank will be a distant one. But those are two massive 'if's'.
Capello favours versatile players so this has all but sealed James Milner's place but question marks still surround his Aston Villa team mates Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor despite their league form.
The same can't be said about Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, whose inconsistent seasons will have no bearing on their guaranteed starting XI positions.
As for Joe Cole, on the other hand, it seems that the form of Florent Malouda will have the final say on his selection but assuming - and it's nothing more than an assumption at present - he does get regular football under Ancelotti he'll presumably occupy the position Gerrard did against Egypt.
This leaves time, and now vacancies, for other players to prove their worth to Capello. Players in with a shout include former Beckham protege David Bentley and after his recent performance for Manchester City, Adam Johnson, not forgetting the soon to be fit again, and England's player of the tournament back in 2006, Owen Hargreaves. Carlton Cole or Darren Bent could yet throw their hats into the ring and offer Capello a fifth striker.
One thing the Italian isn't short of is options. But as the tournament approaches the England manager may regret the lack of quality players capable of competing with tournament favourites Spain and Brazil.
Capello shouldn't rue missing a player of Beckham's declining stock and he'll soon discern that despite the exaggerated coverage by the tabloids, he could have lost a more important player.
One thing the Italian isn't short of is options. But as the tournament approaches the England manager may regret the lack of quality players capable of competing with tournament favourites Spain and Brazil.
Capello shouldn't rue missing a player of Beckham's declining stock and he'll soon discern that despite the exaggerated coverage by the tabloids, he could have lost a more important player.
