MLS Commissioner Don Garber says it is unlikely that Steven Gerrard will return to Liverpool in the winter.

The 35-year-old midfielder left Anfield to join MLS champions LA Galaxy this summer but it has since emerged that perhaps the Reds legend could be back on Merseyside in January for a temporary return.

However, Garber is of the belief that Gerrard will stay put during the MLS off-season as the North American domestic competition no longer requires players to play at a higher level during the league's down time.

"I don't think it's positive for the brand we're trying to build to have players leave in the middle of the season or come late because they are going out on loan," the MLS commissioner told Sky Sports News HQ.

"Someone who is going to be out on loan for the whole year - like they do in the rest of the world - that's something that players and teams can talk to each other about.

"It was part of the dynamic of MLS many years ago. Part of that was simply because the league hadn't developed enough from a competitive perspective and there was the view that players had to go and play at a more competitive level. That doesn't necessarily exist today."