Donovan to return to Galaxy next week

At least the Los Angeles Galaxy can expect one of their loaned-out stars to come home next week.

Landon Donovan, who has been on loan to the Bundesliga’s Bayern Munich, will return to the team next week, the Major League Soccer club announced on Thursday.

Donovan, who turned 27 on Wednesday, has scored four goals in five friendly matches with Bayern, including a two-goal performance against German second-division Mainz 05 on January 22.

Donovan will return March 10 – nearly a fortnight before the Galaxy’s season opener against DC United on March 22.

“We are looking forward to Landon re-joining the club next week as we continue our final preparations for the 2009 MLS Season,” Galaxy general manager and head coach Bruce Arena said.

“He is a very important part of our club and will be coming back to us very motivated and fit for the upcoming season.”

Meanwhile, media reports suggested this week that Galaxy and England midfielder David Beckham could remain on loan to AC Milan until the Italian season is over in July.

Terms of the loan extension were not reported, but the deal was said by the Los Angeles Times to be worth millions of dollars to MLS and the Galaxy, which would lose star ticket seller Beckham for 17 of 30 regular-season games this year.

Beckham, who has voiced a desire to stay in Milan, has reportedly agreed to the deal, which would allow him to stay with the club until the end of the Serie A campaign, and the plan was expected to be finalized by the end of this week.