The Achilles tendon injury of ace midfielder David Beckham can heel in time to enable him to play his fourth World Cup in South Africa, according to a top sports professor.

Beckham's hopes of making the England squad for South Africa in June looked over after he tore an Achilles tendon while playing for AC Milan last Sunday. rofessor Greg Whyte, who helped fix Beckham's metatarsal injury before the 2002 World Cup, said massive doses of collagen in pill form could dramatically speed up his recovery.

Ex-World Championship pentathlon silver medallist Whyte has used collagen, a protein, to aid tissue regeneration in the past, The Sun reports.

Pentathlon teammate James Greenwell feared his career was over after rupturing an Achilles tendon in 1994. But he was running in 22 days and three months later did a personal best.

Prof Whyte, who was once an injury adviser to Manchester United, runs a business selling collagen.

"It is definitely something I would recommend for David. It can help heal quickly. The World Cup can be done," Whyte said.

A spokesman for Beckham, 34, said: "David has leading care and advice." (ANI)