Another setback for Beckham

David Beckham’s introduction to Major League Soccer suffered another setback as he was left out of the Los Angeles Galaxy team to face New England with a flare up of his ankle injury.

Beckham was not fit enough to make the substitutes’ bench, leaving the Galaxy with only 17 players on the team sheet.

The former England captain made his MLS debut in Thursday’s match against DC United, but the 21 minutes he played at RFK Stadium caused his left ankle to swell up.

His absence left a sell-out crowd of 32,000 at Gillette Stadium disappointed.

Beckham has been dogged by the injury – originally suffered while playing for England on June 6 – since arriving in the United States to begin a five-year contract with the Galaxy.