Designated player and former Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg is now listed as probable to make his Sounders debut Saturday when Real Salt Lake visits Qwest Field.

Ljungberg underwent hip surgery in December, joined full training last week, played 35 minutes in a reserve game over the weekend, was upgraded from questionable in this week’s injury report and practiced well Monday at Starfire Sports Complex. He even sent one goal past starting goalkeeper Kasey Keller, and celebrated notably.

“Every day he’s able to participate in full practices is better: his timing is better, wiggling out of situations,” Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. “What happens is out there you start becoming more aware of the players around you and where to go with the ball on your first touch. So, he’s progressing pretty well. He’s still not 90 minutes fit, so we’ll see how this week goes. We’ll talk, and we’ll figure out what’s best for him long-term as well as short-term.”

In other personnel news, forward Jarrod Smith left Seattle to join the New Zealand National Team for a friendly with Thailand on Saturday in Bangkok. Smith is on the Sounders’ injured reserve list while recovering from a hip-flexor strain.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Chris Eylander (knee sprain) and midfielders Sanna Nyassi (hamstring) and Peter Vagenas (knee) were limited to partial training. Defender Taylor Graham (foot) is out indefinitely.

Seattle Sounders foward Fredy Montero was rewarded today for his memorable MLS debut last week, earning the league's MLS Player of the Week award.

Montero scored two goals and recorded an assist in the Sounders' 3-0 win over New York on Thursday.

That was the MLS debut for the 21-year-old Colombian.

His first goal also was one of eight nominees for Sierra Mist Goal of the Week award.

Sounders expansion pick Jeff Parke worked out with the Sounders this morning at Starfire after a delayed arrival that included working out with three teams in Belgium.

Parke said he could have signed overseas -- and that playing overseas remains a career goal -- but that he finally decided Sounders might be the best next step for his career.

"For me, I’m familiar with MLS," Parke said. "I had a decision to make when I was in Europe whether I wanted to stay or go, and I made a decision to come back. Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, as they say. The situations that I was in were difficult. I didn’t want to put myself in a situation where it was unpleasant every day. SO I made the decision to come back and be part of this league and this team. If it works out here, that’s great, but we’ll see."

That last part refers to the fact that Parke hasn't signed yet. He's in to do some work and is still negotiating with the club -- although it sounds like both sides expect a deal to be made.

However, during Parke's free-agent tour, the Sounders protected themselves by stocking up on other defenders, so the role they may have once envisioned for him may have changed.

"We have some players out there who are playing well," coach Sigi Schmid said. "He’s definitely an MLS-quality player. He’s a player with a lot of experience in this league. He’s been a quality defender. He gives us great depth, and we’re never going to turn depth away."

Parke said he has kept in shape during his globe-trotting. However, even if he signed immediately he wouldn't be eligible to play for the Sounders until their April 18 game at Chivas USA as he still has three games remaining on his suspension from last season for violation of the MLS substance-abuse policy.

Seattle Sounders FC and its fans must have been thrilled with the recent round of expansion that will being MLS teams to Vancouver and Portland in 2011.

However, for every expansion winner there are expansion losers, and the sting must have been especially strong in St. Louis, which seemed an early favorite and was disappointed yet again.

However, commissioner Don Garber makes the case that MLS is now pretty well represented on the coasts and the future expansion -- perhaps as early as 2012 -- will be looking to fill in other areas of the country, including the Midwest, which could mean St. Louis finally gets its turn.

And it seems to me if this is going to be a real national league, they're going to have to try again to make something work in the Southeast: Atlanta? Tampa Bay? Miami?