The LA Galaxy suffered a big setback Tuesday when they learned Sebastian Lletget will miss the next 4-6 months due to a Lisfranc injury he picked up in the US national team's 6-0 win over Honduras on Friday night. The midfielder will undergo surgery next week.
It’s not only disappointing for Lletget but also for the Galaxy, as the 24-year-old was just showing that he can be one of the best players in MLS. But while his play in the center of the midfield over the past six months has been a revelation for the Galaxy, the good news for them is that they have Lletget’s national team teammate to step in and replace him.
With Lletget now out, Jermaine Jones will have to relied upon on a weekly basis to produce for Curt Onalfo’s club. His acquisition had moved Lletget back out to the wing, where he’s been less effective, and now Jones’ spot is assured. The problem with that is that the 35-year-old has not shown the ability to be healthy consistently in recent years. The former Schalke man played just nine games for the Colorado Rapids last year and 18 in the year before for the New England Revolution. He also missed LA’s game against the Portland Timbers in Week 2 due to suspension, which is not out of the ordinary for him.
With Lletget’s spot on the wing now vacated, an opportunity arises for some young players. Emmanuel Boateng produced two goals (both against Real Salt Lake) and five assists in 1,547 regular-season minutes last year, and scored two more in LA’s 3-1 win against RSL in the MLS Cup Playoffs Knockout Round. The young Ghanaian has shown flashes of brilliance using his pace and dribbling ability, but has yet to prove he can be relied upon consistently against teams not from Utah.
Three more players, all Homegrowns, will also be vying for Lletget’s spot: Bradford Jamieson IV, Raul Mendiola and Jose Villarreal. Jamieson IV has played just 519 minutes since signing with the Galaxy prior to the 2014 season as a 17-year-old, while Villarreal has seemed to be more comfortable in a striker role during his 2,047 MLS minutes.
Mendiola seems to be the more likely option outside of Boateng to receive time as he can play the wing position both offensively and defensively. His 375 minutes last year for the first team were up-and-down but his 10 assists for LA Galaxy II in 2015 prove he has the potential to be a difference-maker under Onalfo.
Much of the load of Lletget’s loss will have to be picked up by veterans: Jones, Giovani dos Santos and the returning Gyasi Zardes. But if the Galaxy want to stay atop the West, one of their young guns will have to step up too.
