Landon Donovan’s status for World Cup qualifiers in doubt

Landon Donovan’s availability for key World Cup qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda and Guatemala was thrown in doubt Saturday after the Galaxy captain was carried off the field on a stretcher with a knee injury late in his team’s 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake at the Home Depot Center.

The Galaxy said Donovan would undergo tests “as soon as possible” but that could mean Monday morning, when U.S. national team Coach Juergen Klinsmann is scheduled to announce the 23 call-ups for Friday’s match in Antigua and the Oct. 16 game with Guatemala in Kansas City, Kansas. The U.S. needs at least a win and a draw to guarantee itself a spot in next year’s final round of World Cup qualifying.

Donovan, the national team’s all-time leading scorer, was knocked down on a clean but hard challenge from Real Salt Lake’s Jamison Olave with about 10 minutes to play. Donovan’s left knee left a huge divot in the turf and he had to be carried back to the team’s bench.

After the game Donovan made his way slowly and gingerly to the team’s locker room under his own power and 30 minutes later he was moving around the dressing room unaided.

Donovan said he didn’t hear anything pop when he went down but said “it doesn’t feel good.”

Donovan missed the last two World Cup qualifiers in September — a win and loss against Jamaica — because of a hamstring injury sustained in an August friendly in Mexico.

The Galaxy, already missing defender A.J. DeLaGarza for the rest of the regular season, doesn’t play again until Oct. 21.

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