Galaxy in the dark on Becks injury
Los Angeles Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas will be paying close attention to any updates from Spain on David Beckham’s condition after the player’s final game for Real Madrid was cut short by injury.
Beckham limped off in the 66th minute of Real’s decisive 3-1 win over Mallorca at the Bernabeu on Sunday. Madrid overcame a 1-0 deficit with Beckham watching from the sidelines.
Lalas admitted he remains in the dark on the extent of the injury.
“Right now he’s still a Real Madrid player,” Lalas said. “We have not had any indication on the nature of the injury.”
Beckham seemed to aggravate his troublesome ankle injury and after the game the 32-year-old said he had felt the ankle “snap”.
“There was a lot of pain,” he said.
Beckham is now due to join up with the Galaxy in mid-July to begin a five-year contract worth up to $250m (€186m).
Despite such a significant investment, Lalas was not concerned that Beckham had played for Madrid carrying an injury originally suffered playing for England on June 6.
“I don’t think anything was going to keep him out of that game,” Lalas said. “He was obviously carrying an injury but it’s nice that he can now have a rest and recuperate. He’s going to need it.”
It was Beckham’s replacement in the game, Jose Antonio Reyes, who scored two goals as Madrid rallied for the victory. With Barcelona posting a 5-1 win at Gimnastic Tarragona, Madrid had to win to clinch the title.
The two clubs finished level on 76 points, but Madrid claimed their first La Liga title since 2003 – and first since Beckham joined – thanks to a superior head-to-head record against their arch-rivals.
“It’s wonderful,” Lalas said. “We couldn’t be happier for David and Real Madrid, and we send our congratulations to him and his team.
“It was an incredible finish to an incredible season and it’s a wonderful way for him to end his time in Spain before he heads off to America for a new adventure with the Galaxy.”
