Back on the road to recovery: Beckham's achilles' tendon surgery successful

David Beckham's Achilles' tendon surgery was completed successfully on Monday evening and everything went well, his surgeon told Finnish media.

AC Milan's English midfielder David Beckham, leaning on  crutches, leaves his hotel in Milan. The surgeon who  operated on Beckham's ruptured Achilles tendon in  Finland on Monday ruled out any possibility of the  England star recovering in time for the World Cup.  [Photo:CFP/Agencies]

According to the report, the operation lasted 50 minutes and finished at around 7 pm local time. The operation went smoothly, said Finnish orthopaedist Sakari Orava, who conducted the operation at Mehilainen clinic in Turku, southwestern Finland.

Orava said to local media Monday evening that Beckham's Achilles' tendon was completely torn and it has been repaired, adding that Beckham will stay the night at the private clinic and will possibly leave there on Wednesday.

Orava was asked whether David Beckham would be able to play in this year's World Cup. Orava said: "no, I don't think so.... healing takes a long time."

Beckham's foot will be in a cast for around six to eight weeks, after which he can start physiotherapy.

Beckham hurt in AC Milan's 1-0 Serie A win over Chievo at the San Siro on Sunday evening. Experts said that injury in Achilles' tendon always takes three to five months to recover.

Therefore, the injury is expected to keep Beckham out of the World Cup starting in June in South Africa.

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