CARSON, Calif. –Robbie Keane's not ready to play yet, but the LA Galaxy are getting healthier ahead of their showdown this weekend against the New York Red Bulls, even as Jose Villarreal limps back to the sidelines.
It's been a rough go for the reigning MLS Cup champions to start the season, with 11 players sidelined at some point in the first month and a half – including Keane and all three options to partner Omar Gonzalez in central defense – with one ailment or another.
That they've weathered the difficulties with some aplomb – grinding out successive home victories over Seattle and Sporting Kansas City – speaks to their depth and serves as a point of pride.
“It's shown a lot of character,” Gonzalez said following Thursday morning's training session at StubHub Center. “It's been good to find out how deep you are when you have these injuries, and guys can step up and get the opportunity that they're waiting for, and it just feels great that we still go out there without Robbie Keane and Gyasi [Zardes] and still get results.
“It looks like we're starting to get everyone back, and, hopefully, we can still get the results with all the healthy people there.”
Keane, who has missed two games with a groin injury suffered late in the April 4 loss to the Whitecaps, won't be ready for Sunday afternoon's clash at Red Bull Arena (5 pm ET; ESPN2). The Galaxy do have some good news on the injury front, however. Leonardo says he's ready to play after missing three-and-a-half games with a quadriceps injury, Edson Buddle says he hopes to make the 18-man game-day roster after sitting out the last two weekends with a hamstring strain, and Mika Väyrynen says he's fully recovered from a calf injury after seeing late duty in last Saturday's 2-1 win over KC.
Defender Todd Dunivant, dealing with a bruise above his left knee, hopes to be ready for the May 2 home game against Colorado.
Villarreal aggravated a hamstring injury in Wednesday's US Under-23 national team victory over Mexico at StubHub Center that had limited him since he initially sustained it on March 28 at D.C. United. He had come on in the 24th minute when Alejandro Guido exited with a groin injury, then departed in the 40th after picking up his own knock.
“I just felt it tighten up, and I just prevented it from getting worse. It's no big deal,” Villarreal said after the 3-0 US victory. “It might have been a little too early to get back on the field, but I felt fine training these past few days, so it's no big deal.”
Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena questioned how U-23 coach Andreas Herzog utilized Villarreal.
“Coming off a hamstring and not having him warm up and sending him on the field probably wasn't the smartest thing to do,” Arena said. “But I haven't seen him today. ... So we'll see.”
Keane, MLS's MVP last season, has trained fully on occasion this week, but he wasn't active in team activities on the field Thursday and said afterward that he wouldn't be available against the Red Bulls.
“I had a little setback,” he said. “I thought [I'd be back] this week, but it's a [tender] area. It's where you kick the ball.”
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Arena, earlier, was more circumspect.
“Do I see any chance [he'll be available Sunday]? Did you see 'Dumb and Dumber'?” he said. “'You said there's one in a million?' And he said, 'Yes!' ”
Keane's absence makes things more difficult for the Galaxy, who will have their hands full trying to break down the East-leading Red Bulls, who have allowed a league-best four goals so far this year.
“Robbie just brings a little class to, especially, our attack, finishing plays off and creating space for himself and others,” said left back Robbie Rogers. “The final pass. The goals, obviously. And just the leadership of he's played in so many big games, so he brings some composure at times when we need it.
“It's tough without him, but I think that the guys have done really well. At times it hasn't been as pretty as usual, but when you have this many injuries early in the season, you have to fight through these things and just win games. So I'm proud of the way everyone's done it.”
