England injuries blow

McManaman is carried off injured in Monday's match

England's stuttering Euro 2000 campaign has taken another knock with two key players injured following the defeat to Portugal.

Central defender Tony Adam's may well be out of the rest of the tournament after suffering a calf injury.

Kevin Keegan's plans have been hit

And Steve McManaman, who scored in Monday night's 3-2 defeat, is set to miss Saturday's crucial clash against Germany with an injured knee.

England coach Kevin Keegan confirmed Adams and McManaman were having scans and treatment but the forecast looked very doubtful.

Keegan said: "The feeling is that Tony will not make the next two games and Steve will not be fit for the match against Germany."

Short of fitness

England need at least a draw, and probably a win, against their old rivals if they are to qualify for the second round of the competition.

England have failed to get the better of Germany in a competitive game since the World Cup final of 1966.

The loss of one of the team's most experienced defenders as well as, arguably, one if its best creative assets is a major blow.

Both players had to be substituted during the Portugal match after picking up injuries.

No Uefa action over Beckham gesture

Clubmate Martin Keown, who replaced Adams in Eindhoven, looks certain to start against Germany in Charleroi on Saturday.

But Keegan said a number of other minor injuries in the squad after the Portugal game meant he was less sure about who would replace McManaman.

There was good news elsewhere for England, with European football's governing body Uefa saying it would take no action against David Beckham after he apparently made an obscene gesture towards England fans following the defeat.

England's best player on the night was subjected to what the English Football Association described as "disgusting foul-mouthed abuse" as he left the pitch.

Keegan said: "I heard the abuse and I was ashamed.

"If you had have been in the tunnel and heard what I heard... I just couldn't believe it.

"It was very, very personal and totally unacceptable."

Fans praised

Despite that incident, English fans' behaviour was praised by Dutch police and officials in the Dutch town of Eindhoven, where the match was played.

Despite fears that English hooligans might run riot, the match passed off peacefully and there were few reports of trouble after the match.

The city's mayor, Dr Rein Welschen said that on the whole English supporters had been extremely well-behaved.

"This is good for England and this was great for Eindhoven," he said.