Galaxy roster update & MLS SuperDraft preview

Galaxy GM and Coach Bruce Arena gave a handful of reporters an update this afternoon ahead of Thursday's MLS draft (9 a.m. live on ESPN2).

First, let's talk roster since that's likely to have more of a bearing on the coming season:

*Robbie Keane's pending loan to Aston Villa is a virtual certainty.

*Miguel Lopez has returned to Argentine club Quilmes, but Paolo Cardozo is expected to return to LA in 2012.

*The Galaxy have signed former Chivas USA defender Andrew Boyens and defender Chris Leitch, both picked in the Re-Entry Draft.

*Defender Leonardo has not yet recovered from injury, but is expected to stay with club this season, assuming the Galaxy can come to loan terms with his Brazilian club.

*Contract negotiations are on-going with an out of contract Chris Birchall, while nothing is finalized with Frankie Hejduk, Dasan Robinson and Jovan Kirovski.

Lastly, Arena said he should know more about the status of Omar Gonzalez later today, but at this point the club are just hoping he returns before the end of what could be a very long 2012 season.

As for the draft, Arena said given the Galaxy's two picks at the end of the first and second rounds, (19th and 38th overall) the team will simply hope to add depth to their roster.

"I don't anticipate the fact we'll trade up," Arena said. "We'll be reacting off the 18 picks ahead of us, it's really that simple. We're a bit handcuffed at that position. As we get closer to our picks we'll have to react to where we think the draft is going.

"I don't think we can draft a player to replace Omar. - we're aware of the fact we need to bolster our back line, but we're not going to be making up for the loss of Omar (via the draft) - that will have to come in other ways."

"Maybe there's a few less players at the top of the draft than previous years, but I think it's a little deeper than it has been over the last couple of years."

Here's more on the mechanics of this year's Supplemental Draft set for Tuesday from a Galaxy press release sent out earlier today:

The Galaxy also have five picks in the four-round, 76-pick MLS Supplemental Draft, which will be held on Tuesday via conference call. The Galaxy have all four of their natural selections (19, 38, 57 and 76) in the Supplemental Draft, as well as an additional fourth round pick (62nd overall) that they received from Chivas USA in August as part of the trade that sent Juan Pablo Angel to Chivas USA.

And here's a reminder how the Galaxy did in last year's drafts, again via the club:

In 2011, the Galaxy made two selections in the SuperDraft and four in the Supplemental Draft. Of the six players that the club selected, five were a part of the team that won MLS Cup in November, with four of them making at least one appearance in the regular season, led by first round SuperDraft pick Paolo Cardozo, who saw action in half of the club's 34 regular season matches and made eight starts.

Also, reserve Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Perk has joined the Under-23 team currently training at Home Depot Center.