CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy are planning for life without Rolf Feltscher for the next few months.

The defender went down with a pectoralis major tendon tear in training last week that will force him to miss the next three to four months. Feltscher has been a regular in the Galaxy’s lineup this season, starting seven matches for Sigi Schmid’s squad.

Although the Venezuelan will miss considerable time, Schmid is optimistic that he'll be ready for the stretch run.

“I think four months is the back end of the timeline, three months is the optimistic end of the timeline. He can be back in three or four months," the Galaxy boss said. "The one thing with his injury is that once he’s able to move freely and out of the sling … he’s going to be able to do everything in terms of fitness.”

With Feltscher injured, defender Dave Romney stepped into the position during Saturday’s defeat to the New York Red Bulls. In his second start of the year, the versatile left-sided defender performed well in Feltscher’s stead, moving up and down the left flank and providing an assist on Giovani dos Santos’ set-piece goal.

The favorite to take the position once again starting with this weekend's match with the Houston Dynamo, Romney is ready to go if called upon.

“If they ask me to play the position, I’m going to do the best that I can and hopefully we can get a string of wins," Romney said. "I just have to get used to it, I’ve played left back and left center back my whole career and I just have to get used to using the right foot again and opening up on the right side again.”