Bruce Arena has confirmed that Giovani Dos Santos will play “in some capacity” in the Galaxy’s CONCACAF Champions League match against Caribbean club champion Central FC tomorrow night. Dos Santos missed the last few weeks of Gold Cup action with El Tri after suffering a left abductor injury, but the Galaxy coach isn’t fazed by the potential recovery period awaiting his club’s newest signing.
Arena stated that while players with less quality might need more time to recover, “good players fit in easy,” adding that in Gio’s case, he has “made the adjustment quite well.” He plans to monitor the attacker’s progress over the next few days, and, assuming all goes smoothly, he will include him in Thursday night’s game plan.
Dos Santos is set to don the prestigious number 10 jersey that Landon Donovan sported during his 10 year stint with the club, and teammates are already starting to draw comparisons between the legend and reincarnate. Captain Robbie Keane highlighted Gio’s ability to play anywhere among the attacking six as a commonality, as well as his eye for goal and suave technique. When asked to respond to these comparisons, Dos Santos engaged reporters with this perfectly spot on response: “I have a lot of respect, but I am Giovani Dos Santos. I came here to work hard, to win titles and do my own history here in the club.”