Maybe the hot Japanese sun is starting to affect him, for there can be no more logical explanation behind Sven-Goran Eriksson's decision to risk David Beckham against Sweden on Sunday.

Eriksson is renowned as a pragmatic coach, a man who has played the footballing percentages to near-perfection in his 18 months as England coach.

But in shedding his conservative cloak and throwing Beckham into England's opening World Cup game, he is leaving his adopted nation in grave danger of seeing their Far East trip fall apart before it has barely started.

Let no-one be in any doubt: David Beckham is not fit enough to play against Sweden.

At best, he will avoid further injury to his infamous metatarsal, but he will be little more than a peripheral figure in Saitama. Beckham, remember, has not completed a full 90 minutes in a match since March 30.

Can we honestly expect him to do so in hot and humid Japan, against a hard-working Sweden side?

At worst, just one challenge - be it over-robust, careless, or downright malicious - will leave Beckham in a crumpled heap, his World Cup over and Eriksson facing a charge of committing football's equivalent of criminal negligence.

Michael Owen, no less, has admitted defeat against Sweden would be a disaster. While a victory would be great, a loss is "unthinkable" in the Liverpool striker's eyes.

But England can take at least a point from their game against the Swedes without Beckham.

It is the fixture against Argentina five days later that England need Beckham at his best.

Just think. With nearly another week's worth of full training under his belt, and with the desire to right the wrong of France 98 burning inside him, wild horses could not keep Beckham out of that game.

But Sunday simply comes too soon for the England captain to do himself, and his nation, justice.

If Beckham does come through unscathed, and contributes to a positive result, it will be more by luck than judgment.

The Swedes will be out to get him, make no mistake about that. Is there anyone on earth who does not know Beckham has had a poorly left foot in the last couple of months?

If there is, Sweden joint-coaches Tommy Soderberg and Lars Lagerback are not among them.

Heard of Erik Edman? Don't worry if you haven't - he's hardly a household name in his own household. But on Sunday he could enter the annals of World Cup villains, joining the likes of Maradona and Simeone as England's betes noires.

For Edman is Sweden's left-back, and he can be relied upon to test just how sturdy Beckham's foot is.

As he tried to strike a confident note, Eriksson said: "If you want to do something and believe in it very hard, I'm sure it can help."

This is the sort of pseudo-psychology that was meant to go out with Glenn Hoddle, yet Eriksson is seriously suggesting that willpower can heal broken bones.

Of course Beckham wants to play. And of course Beckham reckons he can play. But that does not mean he has to play. Eriksson, rarely one to take a gamble, must now pray he has backed a winner