Beckham in good spirits after surgery in Finland

Mar 16, 2010, 11:48 GMT

Turku, Finland - David Beckham was Tuesday reported to doing well the day after he underwent surgery on an Achilles tendon injury that looks certain to rule the England midfielder out of this summer's World Cup in South Africa.

Finnish orthopaedist Sakari Orava, who conducted the procedure on Monday told Finnish news agency STT that Beckham would likely leave the clinic in Turku on Wednesday.

Orava said Beckham was in 'good spirits' despite the prospects that he will miss out on the World Cup finals, and was practising how to walk on crutches.

According to Orava, Beckham was set to fly to Los Angeles via London.

The AC Milan player flew to Finland on Monday, the day after he picked up the injury in a Serie A match against Chievo.

Orava said Monday that Beckham's participation in the World Cup - which would have been the 34-year-old's fourth World Cup if he had been selected - was perhaps an 'unrealistic' target.

A statement posted on Beckham's website said that Beckham's left Achilles was 'ruptured,' adding that Orava 'performed a successful operation' and that the player was 'expected to make a full recovery.'