LA Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter has spent nearly one week in a walking cast after leaving in the first half of last Thursday's Concacaf Champions League match against Alajuelense with an injured foot. Berhalter said he had been diagnosed with a sprained midfoot on his right foot, but did not say how long he would be out.

"This was just a freak thing," he said. "I just stepped down. No one was near me."

Berhalter has already dealt with injuries this season, as a knee ailment kept him out of a large chunk of the preseason and well into the regular season. Berhalter, though, quickly re-inserted himself into the rotation in June and logged key minutes in MLS and Concacaf Champions League play. He had totaled 613 minutes while playing 90 minutes in six of the eight matches he'd played in during league play.

His return, writes Luis Bueno, gave Galaxy coach Bruce Arena some much needed options for rotating his central defense. Beginning with Monday's match at Sporting Kansas City, LA will play nine games in both MLS and CCL over a 30-day stretch, making defensive depth that much more important.