David Beckham targets imminent return
David Beckham has a targeted an imminent return from injury as he hopes to be involved when his team, the L.A. Galaxy, takes on Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer on September 11.
The veteran midfielder has been out of action since March after suffering a torn left Achillies tendon while he was on loan with Serie A giants AC Milan. After undergoing surgery on the tendon in Finland, it had been expected that he would not make a return to action until 1 October.
Beckham is set to begin playing ahead of schedule. He told his club’s official website that, “The doctors’ original date was Oct. 1, but I always kind of said I want to be ready before then. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hopefully will play in part of the game here against Columbus. I’ll be on the bench, and hopefully I’ll get on the field for 15-20 minutes. That’s what I’m looking at.”
He has been back in training since August 11 and has been slowly working his way back to full match fitness. Though his conditioning is steadily improving, he said that: “It’s a bit difficult because when you don’t play in games; that’s where you get the real fitness from. But I’m doing what I can in the gym and what I can on the field, just trying to get strength back in my leg.”
Beckham also revealed that he refused to contemplate retirement after suffering the injury — which has ruled him out for the majority of the MLS season as well as killing off any hopes he had of featuring for the England national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He said that: “When you first have an injury like this and realize how serious an injury it is, you worry that you’re not going to get back to playing top flight soccer. But that probably was in my head for only about 10 seconds.”
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