Rio Ferdinand ruled out of the World Cup with knee injury

Rio Ferdinand, the England captain, leaves the Ferncrest Net Care hospital after a scan on his knee. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images

Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of the World Cup after injuring his left knee in training.

The England captain broke down after a tackle in the final few minutes of his team's first training session since landing in South Africa, and was taken to hospital for a scan.

The scan revealed knee ligament damage and the 31-year-old will take no part in the World Cup.

"Rio has been ruled out for four to six weeks and will therefore unfortunately miss the World Cup," said the FA in a statement. "Tottenham Hotspur's Michael Dawson has been contacted today and will fly to South Africa on Friday evening."

Steven Gerrard will be promoted to the captaincy.

"It is obviously bad news and everyone with the squad is very disappointed and sorry for Rio," said the England manager Fabio Capello. "It was an accidental injury in training, but had nothing to do with the pitch."

Ferdinand had an injury-hit season at Manchester United, being laid low for considerable periods with back and groin problems.

But he was happy with his fitness at the end of the season and during England's two-week training camp in Austria before coming through the friendly internationals with Mexico and Japan unscathed.

Capello's alternatives in the current squad are West Ham's Matthew Upson and Tottenham's Ledley King.

Upson has started nine of the last 17 internationals while King has forced his way into Capello's thinking despite his long-term knee problem.

King has impressed for Tottenham this season although by his own admission he looked far from convincing in the recent friendly with Mexico at Wembley.

Dawson was named in Capello's initial party of 30 for the finals but was excluded from the final 23 after not playing against either Mexico at Wembley or Japan in Graz. He has had an outstanding season at Tottenham, often alongside King.