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SOCCER: DAVID BECKHAM MAY CANCEL DEBUT AGAINST CHELSEA July 18, 2007
(SomaliNet) Injured David Beckham could be forced to cancel his LA Galaxy debut against Chelsea on Saturday as he is struggling with an ankle injury.
Due to the demands of his £125million contract, Becks is still having to make the long haul to Denver — a 2½-hour, 1,050 mile flight each way.
The England midfielder is special guest at the MLS all-star match against Celtic, where he will toss the coin for the kick-off.
He will lose a vital day of treatment and the gruelling journey is sure to aggravate the injury.
LA Galaxy boss Frank Yallop admitted Becks’ flight from London to Los Angeles last Thursday caused his ankle to swell.
Yet, incredibly, Becks, 32 is back on a plane.
It is a potential disaster for the Galaxy, who have sold 27,000 tickets on the basis Becks will play against Chelsea.
The only way to save a marketing nightmare is for the Blues to agree to go easy when Becks comes on for, say, the last 10 minutes.
Yallop said: “David’s ankle swelled up more than we thought it would on the plane.
“We cannot worry about the commercial aspect. If his injury was to get worse, then that would be a real problem.
“There is a possibility he will not be playing. We will not force him to play as that would be wrong.
“We will not put him in any danger for the long- term and we will have to do the right thing by him but it is improving.
“I have asked the physio how he has been and he says it is a day-to-day thing. There is scar tissue that they need to work on.
“To play on Saturday he will have had to train with us on Friday. That will mean he is available for the game.
“We are all desperate to get him on the pitch. David is a dynamic player who is good at set-pieces and a leader on the field.
“There is nothing about him which says he is above everybody else. When coaches have given him instructions, he has been happy to do it.”-The Sun