LA Galaxy coach Bruce Arena has promised that Landon Donovan will return to the club, just maybe not in time for the new season.
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With the Galaxy set to open their Major League Soccer campaign on March 3 against Chicago at the Home Depot Centre, Donovan's pre-season absence has caused a stir.
The 30-year-old had announced last year that he needed time off to fully recover from two hectic - and injury-plagued - seasons.
But with the 2013 MLS edition just around corner and still no sign of the Galaxy talisman in any warm-up fixtures, speculation over his comeback grows by the day.
Arena, though, has moved swiftly to downplay talk that the USA star is on the verge of calling time on his career.
"He's alive and functioning well in the LA area at the moment," Arena has claimed on the MLS website. "He's definitely coming back, I can promise you that."
Arena added that he has been in contact with Donovan, but that there is no pressure on him to return on any given date.
"We'll report on that once we finalise things," said Arena, whose last conversation with Donovan went: 'Hey, how are you doing?' and 'Want to come in?' 'Want to play soccer for a living?'
"We've had all those chats."
He continued: "When he comes back, he comes back. I'm not going to worry about it. We're going to have a team ready to play come March 3, whether Landon's here or not. ...
"I don't know how long it's going to be. But we're going about our business. You lose players all the time: injuries, suspensions, World Cup qualifiers.
"A lot of things impact your ability to have all your players on the field at the same time. If this is another example, then so be it. And we'll get on with it."
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