Beckham Needs to Earn His Spot

CARSON, California (Ticker) -- David Beckham is going to have to fight his way back into Frank Yallop's Los Angeles Galaxy side as he nears full fitness. The England midfielder, 32, played a full role in training for the Major League Soccer club Tuesday as they prepare for their crucial clash with the New York Red Bulls on Thursday night.

A combination of knee and ankle injuries have kept Beckham on the sidelines as his teammates set about salvaging their season with a six-game unbeaten run - winning the last five. Their upturn in fortunes means that victories in their last two games will see the Galaxy claim what had seemed an unlikely place in the end-of-season playoffs. And their form has been so good that Yallop is reluctant to tinker with his team, even if Beckham is ready to return. "I'm not going to just change the lineup with the people coming back from injury," he said on the team's official website. "You can't do that with a team that's on a six-game unbeaten streak and has won five games in a row. For me it's a great message for people coming back that they have to work their way into the team. That's the correct way to have it."

While Beckham has been fit enough to train, Yallop warned that he is not yet at the peak of his powers. "He's not close to being 100 percent," Yallop said. "We're not going to force him in there. It would be nice to get him on the field at some point because he's such a good player. "He would be a pretty valuable substitute I would think if he's available for our team. I think he's going to be a little bit rusty obviously, not being in the squad, not training with the guys, but I think he's moving well. There's no doubt he can play, we know that. It's just the injuries and the movement. He looks like he's not hindered by anything at the moment."