Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is likely to sit out England's friendly against Germany on Wednesday.
Gerrard faced Chelsea on Sunday despite a hairline fracture of his toe but said he had a painkilling injection to play.
"I need rest to be ready for the qualifiers in September," he said. "The sensible thing is to make sure you are ready for the big games."
Gerrard added he could only play for England if an X-ray on Monday shows the condition of his toe has improved.
"If the X-ray shows the crack has healed I will be playing for England but I can't see it because three days ago I had an X-ray and I had broken a toe," he added.
"I have spoken to the England manager Steve McClaren a couple of times and I will speak to him on Monday I guess."
"The longer David Beckham plays in America, with respect to the football being played there, the less competitive he will become"
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has already said he does not think Gerrard, who picked up the injury playing against Toulouse on 15 August, will be available to face Germany.
And Reds chief executive Rick Parry told BBC 5live's Sportsweek: "If we had two games in a week we would be looking to rest him in one of them.
"We need to treat him with care. Bluntly, our focus is with Liverpool. As Rafa has said, it is the sort of injury that is going to need careful nursing and rest."
Portsmouth centre-back Sol Campbell has already been forced to pull out of the England squad because of a groin injury.
And McClaren could also be without Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who experienced pain in his knees after his United debut in their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.
"Owen Hargreaves is very painful in his knees," reported United boss Sir Alex Ferguson after the game. "It was his first game and he will need a few days to recover. I don't think he'll be available for Wednesday."
McClaren will also await fitness reports on John Terry, who made his return from injury for Chelsea against Liverpool, and Michael Owen - who played 20 minutes for Newcastle against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Gary Neville - who has not played since March because of an ankle problem - now has a calf strain and is set to miss the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia in September.
David Beckham could feature after coming through his first full 90 minutes for LA Galaxy, but did report some swelling in his ankle afterwards.
Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson has expressed his doubts over how long Beckham, 32, can continue playing for England while he is playing in America.
Robson told BBC 5live Sportsweek: "I would pick him to begin with to see how he goes - in the short term he looks OK.
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"But the longer he plays in America, with respect to the football being played there, the less competitive he will become.
"It is not the greatest level of football. He will lose the match sharpness he needs to play at the top level with England."
Robson also felt a lack of new talent means McClaren had little choice but to recall Campbell, who turns 33 in September, and goalkeeper David James, 37, because of injuries affecting his players.
"It is a worry that he had to return to the old guard but there is not much he can do," conceded Robson.
"The high numbers of foreigners playing in this country means there is less space for England players coming through.
"We are not producing enough good players from our academies so most clubs are going abroad.
"There are vast sums of money being generated in the Premier League but it is filtering abroad in transfer fees and going to foreign clubs, not to English sides."
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