LONDON - DAVID Beckham expects to be left out of England's squad for next week's friendly in Germany, meaning he will have to wait to equal Bobby Moore's tally of 108 caps, the record for an English outfield player.

Beckham, with 107 caps for England and the third most capped player in the country's history, is due to join AC Milan on loan in January in order to stay fit during the close season for his MLS club LA Galaxy.

Although the midfielder has been working hard on his fitness, sources close to him told Britain's Press Association that he did not expect to feature in the Germany match with head coach Fabio Capello set to hand younger players their chance to impress.

If he manages to get some action at Milan, Beckham could equal Moore's record in a friendly in Spain in February and he insists he is capable of continuing to play for England until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Most observers are sceptical but Beckham has defied the odds more than once in his career and, if he realises his ambition, he could yet threaten former goalkeeper Peter Shilton's overall record of 125 England caps. -- AFP