England should not be in need of a shoulder to cry on after tomorrow's World Cup qualifier against Greece. This is just as well since an injury to one of the broad shoulders owned by David Seaman has cost Sven-Goran Eriksson the services of his first-choice goalkeeper.

Nigel Martyn is set to take Seaman's place at Old Trafford. It will be the 35-year-old Leeds United player's first competitive international since he suddenly found himself keeping goal against Romania in Charleroi for what turned out to be England's last appearance in the 2000 European Championship, Seaman having broken down with a leg injury during the warm-up.

Although Martyn often performed well in that match he was at fault for Romania's second goal, pawing a cross straight to an incoming attacker. Unhappily, goalkeepers are judged by their errors and given Martyn's uncertain half-save when Holland scored their second at White Hart Lane in August his international credentials remain unproven, 17 caps notwithstanding.

Not that anyone would have read as much into the anodyne statement issued by Eriksson yesterday regretting Seaman's absence but expressing England's good fortune in having other first-class goalkeepers available, namely Martyn, Richard Wright, now Seaman's deputy at Arsenal, and Leicester City's Ian Walker, who was on standby.

Such a panglossian sentiment could not hide the fact that satisfactory alternatives to Seaman are thin on the ground. This is the reason why Seaman, in his 39th year, is still England's regular choice.

To be fair to the old chap he has recently done much to quell doubts about his international worth. Had Seaman not reacted as swiftly as he did in Munich to keep out the low shot which Jorg Bohme struck through a crowd of players Germany, not England, might have led 2-1 at half-time. And when Albania were pressing for an equaliser at Newcastle four nights later Seaman it was who spared Eriksson potential embarrassment by pushing wide a long, dipping cross-shot from the irrepressible Edvin Murati.

Martyn should not be tested too often against Greece tomorrow. David Beckham might talk about the need to be ready "for anything the Greeks might throw at us" but this is unlikely to amount to much more than a few Parthian shots wrapped in vine leaves.

It may be better in the longer term if Martyn is kept reasonably busy. As Eriksson's first option in goal he probably needs nothing more than added confidence to become as consistent for his country as he is for his club.

The loss of Seaman, coming on top of the hamstring problems which are keeping out Michael Owen and Sol Campbell and the rib injury on which Nicky Butt will have a further test today have jolted the spine of Eriksson's winning side. The condition is not sufficiently critical to raise serious doubts about England achieving the win which will assure them of automatic qualification, barring an unforeseen German turkey-shoot against Finland in Gelsenkirchen, but the performance may be a little stilted as a result.

Yesterday Beckham issued his now ritualistic captain's call to the colours, which he puts over well even if the rhetoric is a mite repetitive. It can be assumed that everyone is in good spirits and raring to go again; so they should be after five World Cup victories with the 5-1 win in Munich among them.

Nevertheless Beckham did offer an insight into how Eriksson's laid-back style has helped this relatively youthful side.

"If a young team plays with such patience this must be down to the calmness of the coach," he explained. "But that is the way he is, both in training and around the hotel.

"He doesn't make speeches. When we reported this week he told us that getting three points on Saturday was the only thing that mattered. Other than that he simply told us to go out and enjoy it." In Beckham's view the squad's togetherness is the key. "Whatever is said or is written about us the players will bond together and stay together, right or wrong," he stressed.

So long as England keep winning World Cup games this is the way it will undoubtedly be. Such storms in an optics glass which followed Steven Gerrard being spotted in a Southport vodka bar in the early hours of Tuesday will quickly blow over.

After all, players being caught clubbing is practically part of the ritual whenever England approach important matches.

The argument that Gerrard has been given preferential treatment compared to Frank Lampard, dropped from the squad after being fined by Chelsea, along with three colleagues, for a noisy binge in front of American tourists near Heathrow the day after the New York tragedy, is an idle one. Lampard was punished for loud and insensitive behaviour, not for having a drink.