David Beckham believes the England side set to take on Greece on Wednesday is potentially the best he has played in - and insists he will be fit for the World Cup qualifier despite a training ground injury worry.

Beckham did not complete yesterday's session in La Manga after appearing to twist his right knee and he went off to put an ice pack on it.

He later revealed the problem had been niggling him all week and was similar to the injury which kept him out of October's clash in Finland, after he had to come off against Germany four days earlier.

However, this time he insisted: ''I will definitely be fit for Wednesday.

''I've had a little niggle in my knee that's been there since the start of the week. I felt it just a touch but it's not a problem. I just felt it was better for me to pull out and take it easy.

''It's similar to that injury (last October) but it's eased off a lot. We had a day off on Saturday and I didn't do anything at all so it was probably a little bit stiff.

''It will be fine. I'll be have some treatment on it but I will probably be training on Monday morning again.''

Beckham was joined on the sidelines in the latter stages by Paul Scholes due to a sore thigh but he is expected to be training again today as well.

A third member of England's midfield, Steven Gerrard, was rested from yesterday's session, also due to muscle soreness in his left thigh.

He will be assessed this morning when a decision will be made whether he should train, while David Seaman, who went through a 40-minute solo session that seemed to ease worries over his shoulder, is also expected to take part.

The squad fly out to Greece today and Eriksson expects all four of those players to be fit for selection for Wednesday's game.

Beckham, meanwhile, is full of confidence due to the potential shown by the team in the four games so far under Eriksson, as well as the ''best team spirit that I've seen since I've been involved with England''.

Asked if this could also be or become the best England side he had played in, Beckham replied without hesitation: ''Definitely.''

The Manchester United midfielder, who has won 41 caps since making his England debut in the first game after the Euro 96 finals, added: ''It's an exciting time at the moment.

''Every player is proud to play for their country but when we play the football we did against Mexico. . .''

Beckham, who previously revealed it had ''never felt as good before'' for England as during the ''unbelievable'' football played in the opening half-hour against the Mexicans, did inject a note of caution.

''We know that was a friendly and we have to carry that into the big games,'' he insisted, with England needing victory against Greece to make the most of Germany's 2-2 draw against Finland.

However, he added: ''If we can carry on playing the way we are then we can go all the way to the World Cup finals and do well.

''I feel great at the moment because of the way we're playing, the way I'm playing and the fact that I've scored a couple of goals in the past few games.

''My confidence has never been a problem, I've always been a confident person on the pitch and that shows right the way through the team.''

Rio Ferdinand is backing the coolness of Beckham to lead England to victory.

A victory for England over Greece would keep the pressure on the Group Nine leaders, who play in Albania on the same day, and set up a potential September showdown to decide who finishes top of the pile.

Now Leeds centre-back Ferdinand believes the skipper's example as leader will rub off on the rest of his troops, having dealt with the extraordinary media pressures placed on him due to his marriage to a Spice Girl and that infamous incident with Diego Simeone at France 98.

''I think he is getting more and more used to it as time goes on,'' said Ferdinand.

''He hasn't changed the way he plays or the way he approaches games much at all. He leads by example by the way he plays on the pitch and he has done that in the last four games, definitely.

''Whatever age you are you have to respect for someone like him, the way he has handled the pressure, obviously with who he is married to and the things that have happened to him in the past like the World Cup.

''A lot of people would have crumbled under that kind of pressure and I think he is gaining respect from a lot of people, not just the players.''

Ferdinand, 22, has put England's improvement down to Eriksson's introduction of younger players that have come through the ranks together. ''He's changed the squad a little bit and brought younger players in,'' he said. ''That's helped the younger players because whereas there were only a few of us before there are more of us now and we have grown up together.'