There were a few noticeable faces absent from the Los Angeles Galaxy training session on Tuesday. But there was one hugely recognizable face on the field -- David Beckham.
Beckham partook in his first full training session on Tuesday with the Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center, and afterward said he will be able to play against D.C. United on Wednesday night in the SuperLiga semifinals.
"It's not perfect yet, but I think I can at least play half a game tomorrow," said Beckham about his left ankle. "This is my first day of training so it still feels unstable to a certain extent, but it feels stable enough to actually play in a game and see how far I can take it."
While it was a light session with the Galaxy returning from a taxing week-long road tour of the Eastern Conference and the SuperLiga match ahead (which led to the absence of Landon Donovan from the practice field), Beckham did play in a short-sided scrimmage. At one point he took a shot on goal, resulting in a slight grimace and a little hop on his injured left ankle, proving that while he's ready to join in training, he's still not quite at full strength just yet.
"It's great. It's good to be back. It's good to at least get onto the field and have a bit of practice," said Beckham. "This is my first time obviously, since I arrived, to be out on the training pitch. It feels good. It's not perfect, my ankle. It's about 70-80 percent."
After making his MLS debut against D.C. United last Thursday, playing the final 18 minutes of the Galaxy's 1-0 loss at RFK Stadium, the left ankle injury he suffered while still playing with Real Madrid, then exacerbated in a match with the England national team, kept him out of the Galaxy's loss on Sunday to the New England Revolution.
On Tuesday, his ankle was heavily wrapped. Yet while it's important not to rush Beckham back too quickly, the club hasn't scored in their last three games (all since Beckham joined the team), and his return to the team could be all-important if the Galaxy are going to make a charge up the standings and grab a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
"It's important because our place in the league needs to get going quickly. It's been frustrating for all of us not to have someone like David available," said Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop. "I think David will be the one who knits it all together."
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
