Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham might not feature in Sunday's contest with the New England Revolution. After playing 18 minutes on Thursday night in the Galaxy's 1-0 defeat at D.C. United, the English international said that his troublesome left ankle swelled up after the contest.
"I'm not sure," Beckham said about his status. "My ankle flared up after the D.C. game."
Beckham's involvement is not "100 percent" assured in his mind. The midfielder stretched and ran circuits around the Gillette Stadium field during the Galaxy's Saturday afternoon training session but did not make any cuts on the injured ankle.
Numerous factors, including the extensive travel undertaken by the team over the past week, the artificial surface at Gillette Stadium and the fixture congestion of playing three contests in a week, could play a role in how much time Beckham will see Sunday night.
Beckham had originally said that he hoped to play a half in Sunday's game and a full match in New York on Aug. 18, but it looks as if those plans are firmly on ice as Beckham approaches tomorrow's contest.
A limited Beckham role, whether a substitute appearance similar to the one in D.C. or missing out all together, would be a setback for a Galaxy team that lost on Thursday night with Beckham appearing in a substitute's role and looks toward Beckham to provide a lift to the team with his passing and distribution.
"He's doing OK," Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop said. "It was great to have him out there. We were waiting for that moment. When he came on, our play picked up. It was very good to have him out there."
Galaxy captain Landon Donovan said that he felt "livened up" when Beckham took the field and proclaimed that he wanted Beckham on the field as much as possible.
"I want him on the field all the time," Donovan said. "He makes us better. But we've played the whole season without him. We've played some good games and we've played some bad games along the way."
If he takes the field on Sunday, Beckham will prepare for his maiden voyage on an artificial surface. Beckham did not play in last Sunday's contest in Toronto.
"I don't have much experience playing on artificial surfaces," Beckham said, adding that a couple of his academy surfaces in London are made of similar materials. "I haven't played a competitive match on it. The surface looks good. I trained on it today. It's better than Toronto's surface. It's just part of MLS and I need to come to terms with it."
The apparent setback also deals a blow to Beckham's international hopes. Beckham is targeting England's friendly with Germany on August 22, but admits that it'll be impossible to join up with his international teammates without full fitness.
England coach Steve McClaren was in attendance on Thursday night at RFK Stadium. Beckham revealed that the pair spoke after the contest about his health and his experience in the U.S. top flight to date.
"I got to speak to him after the game," Beckham said, adding that he would not reveal personal details of the conversation. "We spoke about my fitness and the league. He said he was looking forward to seeing me come over for the Germany game. It's important for all the players to get over there and get together, even if I can't play. We'll see how it goes. I have to be fit. I have to play for the Galaxy first."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
