World-fame soccer star David Beckham will be sidelined during Thursday night's game between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls, his team said.

An injury sustained in practice and soccer's limited substitution rule could also keep him sidelined.

Beckham last played Aug. 29 when he suffered a right knee sprain in the Super Liga final at The Home Depot Center in Carson. He returned to practice Oct. 2 and practiced both Tuesday and yesterday. However, during yesterday's practice, he aggravated a left ankle injury that had limited his playing time since debuting with the Galaxy July 21.

Soccer's substitution rules could also be a factor on whether Beckham plays. Teams are limited to making three substitutions in a game and as in baseball, a substituted player cannot re-enter the game, making a soccer coach's substitution options more limited than their basketball or American football counterparts.

The Galaxy is in the midst of a five-game winning streak and coach Frank Yallop expressed hesitancy about changing the lineup, when victories tonight against the New York Red Bulls and Sunday at Chicago would assure it of a playoff berth.

"If we're winning and doing great, why would you want to upset that?" Yallop said. "Obviously, we want to get David into our team because he's a great player, a world-class player. But you've got to be careful of not ripping out the heart of the team."

Beckham, 32, made his debut with the Galaxy July 21 amid one of the greatest promotional buildups in American sports history. However, an ankle injury sustained June 6 while playing for England in a Euro 2008 qualifying game against Estonia forced him to miss five of the next six games, creating fan disappointment and raising questions about the team's credibility about its announcements about Beckham's health.

In six games in various competitions with the Galaxy during the Major League Soccer season, Beckham had one goal and three assists. The Galaxy lost five of the six games.

(Xinhua News Agency October 19, 2007)