The news that David Beckham faces four weeks out of action because of a knee injury may bring a secret smile to the face of  in-form Spurs wide man Aaron Lennon.

The continuous Beckham PR campaign looked set to win him a recall to the squad for England's next fixtures, but after his latest setback this will not be possible and may lead to the youthful Lennon finally getting a start for the Three Lions.

Lennon appears to have been somewhat harshly treated by the English fans and media. He was injured for early matches in Steve McClaren's tenure, and the public by and large have forgotten the impact he had in an England shirt during his cameo appearences in the summer.

After a scintillating performance from the left wing against West Ham, in which he created two of the four Tottenham goals, Lennon might still have found that the media giant that is the former England captain would have kept him out on reputation as much as form. Hopefully now we will get the chance to see what Lennon is capable of on the international stage, bringing with him a rare commodity in the England side - searing pace.

Beckham is 32 in a couple of months' time, and will be playing in the United States at the age of 33 come the next major championship for England. Lennon, on the other hand, will be 21 with the likelihood that his skills will be developing rather than declining. It is perhaps a measure of the England manager's job security that even raises the question of whether he should be building for the future or looking to the past for inspiration.

Shaun Wright-Phillips has filled in on both flanks several times but has been largely unconvincing, while Stewart Downing offers a less-mobile solution on the left side.  It remains to be seen whether or not  McClaren will have the resolve to re-shuffle a midfield full of England stalwarts and give one of the Premiership's new leading lights the break he craves.