Manchester United defender Gary Neville said Friday he was coming to terms with missing the World Cup finals because of a broken bone in his left foot.

He had earlier informed the Football Association (FA) that he would not be fit in time.

Neville's hopes of playing at the finals in Japan and South Korea were left in tatters when he broke a metatarsal bone in his left foot during Manchester United's Champions League semi-final first leg with Bayer Leverkusen last month.

The 27-year-old full-back said he was disappointed but the pain was easing at missing the finals.

"I've decided I won't be fit in time to play in the first game in June," he said.

"I've spoken to Sven Goran Eriksson and obviously I'm disappointed. But it's something I've come to terms with pretty quickly after last week after getting the injury.

"It's something I can't do anything about and it is a big disappointment.

"I've decided I won't be fit in time to play in the first game in June," he told MUTV, Manchester United's own television station.

"I had felt the injury firstly against Paraguay the week before for England," Neville explained.

"It was a strange feeling in my foot and I'd never had that feeling

before.

"I then played at Chelsea on the Saturday and after 75 minutes at Chelsea I was struggling.

"After the game I lay on the treatment table in Chelsea's dress-

GARY NEVILLE

ing room and we decided then that I would go for an X-ray and a scan on the Monday morning, which I did.

"The X-ray came back showing just bone bruising so it was OK. I did a full practice match on the Tuesday morning before the Leverkusen match and there was no problem at all.

"I went into the game on Wednesday, the first 15 minutes I warmed up, no problem.

"I just went in for a challenge and people said I did it in the challenge, but I never touched him and he never touched me.

"It was just when I got up I felt a different pain from the Saturday.

"I thought it was just bone bruising and stayed on limping like a fool for three or four minutes.

"The club surgeon came down to the treatment room and said straight

away that it was broken."

Earlier Friday, in a statement issued by the FA, England boss Eriksson said: "This is a cruel blow not only for Gary Neville but also for England.

"Gary is not just a very good football player but he has also been a loyal member of the team. I feel very sorry for him," the Swede added.

"Competing at a World Cup is the pinnacle of any player's career and there are not that many opportunities to take part in the finals.

"For Gary to lose out at this time is obviously a huge disappointment to us all."

As soon as his injury happened it seemed as if Neville's chances of making the finals in Japan and South Korea had disappeared with doctors saying he needed at least six weeks to recover.

His injury was similar to that suffered by his best friend, United team-mate and England captain David Beckham.

But the midfielder sustained his injury in a Champions League quarter-final on April 10 and is expected to learn his fate over the weekend.

Neville's injury could, ironically, leave the door open to a World Cup place for his brother Phil when Eriksson announces his squad on Thursday.

He would now appear to be competing with Liverpool's Jamie Carragher for a place although his United team-mate Wes Brown could also take one of the defensive berths.

However, Leeds' Danny Mills would seem to be first in line to take over from Gary Neville at right back.