CARSON, Calif. – Robbie Keane is suspended, Landon Donovan continues to rehab a hamstring injury, and David Beckham still feels ill. The LA Galaxy could be missing all three of their big stars for their CONCACAF Champions League game on Wednesday night against the Puerto Rico Islanders (10 pm ET, Fox Soccer)
Head coach Bruce Arena isn't saying so, but then again, he never does.
“I don't do any of those 'likelies' and 'probablies' and all that stuff,” Arena said Tuesday when asked about Donovan and Beckham. “We'll know tomorrow at kickoff.”
Keane will sit this one out after his controversial red card in the Galaxy's Group 5 opener last week, a 5-2 victory over El Salvador's Isidro Metapán.
Donovan hasn't trained fully since straining his hamstring in the US victory over Mexico two weeks ago, and he sat out both the Metapán clash and Sunday's 2-0 victory over FC Dallas.
Beckham made it to the 78th minute Sunday despite a stomach virus that had him up all night, vomiting, on the night before the game. He trained Tuesday, said he felt “a little bit better” as he walked off, then indicated that he was far from full strength.
Given the importance of Saturday's upcoming league game against Vancouver, it might be wise to give Beckham the night off.
Arena said Donovan and Beckham were “moving along,” that “David seemed fine today” and that “Landon's working out inside today.”
The Galaxy are certainly preparing for the possibility neither will be available. LA have played just two games without all three Designated Players since Keane's arrival last August: the regular season-ending loss at Houston last year and the US Open Cup loss to the Carolina RailHawks in May.
“It's going to be interesting,” defender A.J. DeLaGarza said. “All the guys got to step up. We've got a good reserve team [and] numbers are being called now, whoever it might be. Just make sure they're ready.”
