Ljungberg headed back to Sounders

A day after he was a no-show at the opening of Sounders FC training camp, star midfielder Freddie Ljungberg said he has every intention of rejoining the team.

Ljungberg, writing Tuesday on his official blog, said a communication error led to his absence this week, but that he expects to be with the team Monday.

Ljungberg stated on his blog last week that he was waiting to see what transpired with the current labor negotiations before making a decision on his future. Major League Soccer’s collective bargaining agreement expires Sunday, and if a new deal isn’t reach, a lockout is a possibility.

Ljungberg said he thinks a deal between the league and the players union will happen.

“Based on the latest news I’ve heard from both sides, there won’t be a lock out or strike on Feb. 1,” Ljungberg wrote on freddie.speaksup.com. “So from Feb. 1, I will be with my team in Seattle trying to help them become the best team in America.”

Sounders FC general manager Adrian Hanauer echoed Ljungberg’s sentiment that part of the problem was a miscommunication between the two sides, saying he misunderstood Ljungberg’s agent Claes Elefalk, during a conversation Monday.

“Claes thought he was communicating 100 percent that Freddie would be here next week,” Hanauer told reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “I didn’t quite hear that — a bit of a miscommunication. Freddie certainly thought that he had communicated to his representation that he would be here first thing Monday morning, and the reality is that he will be here first thing Monday morning. And we’re very happy about that.”

It’s hard to foresee Ljungberg coming back if he wasn’t confident a deal was close. In his blog Ljungberg concedes that, at the age of 32, he can’t afford to sit out entire seasons of soccer, so his return seems to be a positive development for MLS fans.

Ljungberg played in 22 games for the expansion Sounders last season. He finished with two goals and nine assists.

Both Ljungberg and the club have said that the Swede has been in talks with European clubs, and the former Arsenal star would have plenty of options in Europe if he wasn’t fairly certain that there would be a Major League Soccer season in 2010.

“A lot of very good clubs in Europe have shown an interest in me this winter and that is always a nice feeling and very flattering,” Ljungberg wrote. “I also want to say that I have handled this situation with the respect and dignity that the Seattle fans deserve. I don’t believe that players should look to manufacture moves to other clubs by involving the media, as this is disrespectful to their club and fans. I hope you understand that this situation was out of my control but I can say that I am truly happy that it has been resolved and I will be returning to Seattle.”

Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com.