CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy have taken seven of nine available points since Robbie Keane went down nearly a month ago with a groin injury, so they know they can get results without their captain and chief playmaker.
Good thing, because it sure doesn't look like Major League Soccer's reigning MVP will be available for Saturday night's Western Conference meeting with Colorado at StubHub Center (10:30 pm ET, MLS Live).
Keane hasn't trained this week after missing LA's home victories over Seattle and Sporting Kansas City and last weekend's 1-1 road draw with the New York Red Bulls, and even LA head coach Bruce Arena says it's “not likely” the Irishman will be available, more or less confirmation in “Bruce-speak.”
Arena also included midfielder/forward Jose Villarreal as unlikely to be available this weekend. Villarreal missed last week's game and hasn’t trained since aggravating a hamstring injury during a US Under-23 national team friendly last Wednesday.
Arena didn’t offer any concrete timetable for their returns, either, although Villarreal indicated he hoped to get back into the fold sometime next week, when the Galaxy play midweek at Real Salt Lake and on the weekend at FC Dallas.
“Not spending a whole lot of time worrying about it,” Arena said following Thursday morning's training session at StubHub Center. “When they're ready, they'll be ready. ... We can't worry about it right now. We'll see. Every day tells us a little bit more.”
Keane suffered a groin injury late in LA's 2-0 loss April 4 at Vancouver. He returned to training two weeks ago but hasn't been on the field since reporting last week that he'd had a “setback” in his rehabilitation.
He's missed four successive MLS games only once since joining the Galaxy in August 2011, when he was unavailable for five matches while with Ireland's national team for the 2012 European Championship.
Alan Gordon has played in his spot the past three games, partnered the last two with 18-year-old speedster Bradford Jamieson IV, who scored a nifty goal – his first in MLS – to give the Galaxy an early lead over the Red Bulls on Sunday.
Arena said they'd done a “solid job” on the frontline.
“You know, we can be a little bit more dynamic there and create a few more chances, but both have done well,” Arena said. “B.J.'s done extremely well in his two starts, and I'm pleased with that, and Alan always gives us a great effort.”
There's been more grit that art in the Galaxy attack without Keane, although as long as LA continue getting results, that’s quite all right.
“We maybe have to fight a little bit harder, and we know we're not always going to be able to play out of certain situations [without Keane],” midfielder Stefan Ishizaki said. “When he's on the field, you can always give him the ball and he'll relieve the pressure for us.”
The Galaxy (3-2-3) haven't been “the sharpest” on offense, Gordon acknowledges, but he says “the important thing is the results.”
“Robbie's our creative piece,” he added. “When you get myself and some of these other guys, we're not really going to make the game like Robbie does. Which is something that's been great about B.J. B.J. comes in, he adds a different dynamic for us, and we've benefited from having him in this lineup.”
