Donovan Skips Asia Trip to Rehab Knee
Galaxy forward Landon Donovan, the Redlands native, isn't in China with the team. He's back home, rehabbing a balky right knee. His injury has been diagnosed as "patella tendinitis."
The Galaxy is on an extended preseason trip ... two games in Hawaii followed by a game in Korea, and then one in Shanghai and another in Hong Kong.
The Galaxy split two games in Honolulu, lost in Korea ... and play the other two matches this week.
Landon, however, sat out the Hawaii matches, which were played on artificial turf, and then flew back to California rather than continue on across the Pacific.
"I went to Hawaii but didn't play and then I came home to get proper treatment on my knee," Donovan said via e-mail. "It's bearable to play on but hopefully we can get it figured out once and for all."
He hopes to be ready for the Galaxy's MLS opener, March 29. This is one of the first times he has been sidelined by injury. His health has been remarkably good, the first decade of his career.
I also asked him if he had heard anything about the Olympics.
The under-23 team (which includes Maurice Edu out of Fontana and Etiwanda High School) qualifies for the Olympics ... but three overage players can be added to the roster for the Olympics.
Donovan played in the 2000 Olympics, when he was 18, but the Americans didn't qualify in 2004, and Landon took it hard because he is big on the Olympics.
"I don't know a thing about the Olympics but i would love to go if asked," he said. "Doesn't matter if they don't qualify so I'll be watching closely!"
Donovan might not be allowed to go, by the Galaxy. He would miss at least three MLS matches, and that's if he doesn't join the Olympic team until the week before the Beijing Games, Aug. 8-24.