David Beckham will not return to the Premier League on loan during the close season in the USA.

Roy Keane, the Sunderland manager, had reportedly offered the England midfielder a six-month loan deal during Major League Soccer's break, which begins next week.

A potential move to a Premier League side would give Beckham, currently sidelined with a knee injury, the chance to regain his fitness and play himself back into Steve McClaren's England squad ahead of the 2008 European Championships.

But a spokesman for Beckham said the player was contracted to Los Angeles Galaxy and would not be going to another club on any basis, saying: "There will be no loan moves or short-term contracts. He is under contract to the Galaxy."

Galaxy signed Beckham on a five-year contract worth up to £128million in a bid to boost the popularity of the game in America.

But Beckham has been troubled by injuries since his high-profile move to America and has played just five games for his new club. He suffered knee ligament damage playing for the Galaxy against Pachuco at the end of August, which sidelined him for six weeks, ruling him out of England's recent Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia.

And doubts have been cast over Beckham's role in the England set-up since his move to Los Angeles with many fearing his extensive travelling schedule would leave him too tired to perform to his full potential.

Beckham recently flew back to England to be with his father, Ted, who had suffered a heart attack.