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ASN Injury Report

Adverse Effects Linger from Cursed Mexico Friendly

Michael Bradley, Tony Beltran, Nick Rimando, Luis Gil, and Bill Hamid are among the U.S. players who suffered injuries preparing for, or playing in, the April 2 Mexico friendly. Nick Kariuki has more.
BY Nick Kariuki Posted
April 16, 2014
10:41 AM
  • Let's start with the worst news first: Michael Bradley is looking doubtful for Toronto FC’s trip to FC Dallas this Saturday. Bradley missed Toronto’s 1-0 loss to Colorado over the weekend with a quadricep injury and was not involved in yesterday's training session. Reds coach Ryan Nelson told MLSSoccer.com that it’s too early to make a decision, but hinted that it may be better to wait until after the upcoming bye week to bring back players from his overcrowded treatment room.

  • On Monday Danny Williams only managed the first 60 minutes of Reading’s 1-1 tie with Leicester City before his persistent knee injury forced him out. Reading manager Nigel Adkins only used the ailing Williams and several other key players because of its promotion aspirations, and for Williams it appears to have done more harm than good. Yesterday Adkins said this about Williams: "By the time he got to 60 minutes you could see Dean Hammond [Foxes midfielder] was running off him, he'd get forward but couldn't stay with his man in the other direction. He'd blown up, and I don't know how his knee will react now.”

  • D.C. United keeper Bill Hamid missed a second consecutive game because of a foot injury suffered during international duty. Head coach Ben Olsen clarified that Hamid didn’t suffer an injury setback and was instead being rested: “He didn't aggravate it, he pushed himself a couple trainings to see if he could go, and we decided at the end that the foot needs a couple more days rest.”

  • Real Salt Lake pair Nick Rimando and Luis Gil are also casualties from the Mexico friendly. Gil’s awkward hamstring/groin injury is “coming along”, head coach Jeff Cassar told the Salt Lake Tribune yesterday. Still rehabilitating his knee injury, Rimando returned back to the field yesterday and posted this tweet about it:
  • Fortunately for RSL, Tony Beltran returned from the ankle sprain he picked up on national team duty. The right back managed to play out the full 90 minutes of Salt Lake’s 2-2 draw against the Philadelphia Union.

  • In the same game, the Union’s Austin Berry also played his first match back from a strained hamstring, managing the entire game as well.

  • At the Colorado Rapids, Chris Klute returned to full training from his hamstring strain yesterday, but will probably not make the squad for this Saturday’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes. The left back spoke with MLSsoccer.com after practice: “I’m 100 percent right now. I’m not match fit, so I probably won’t get in the lineup for a couple more weeks, but I’ve been practicing at 100 percent.” Head coach Pablo Mastroeni shared Klute’s assessment, emphasizing his wish not to “throw him back into the lion’s den” too soon.

  • In Liga MX, Puebla’s Michael Orozco will be out for around another week, based on the estimate the club made to MLSsoccer last Thursday. The defender played no part in Puebla’s 0-1 loss to Club America on Saturday and the relegation-threatened side will travel to Pachuca this weekend.

  • FC Nürnberg right back Timmy Chandler returned to individual training on Thursday. The German-born defender has been sidelined since tearing the lateral meniscus in his left knee against Bayern Munich in February. Chandler’s recovery has progressed on schedule and he could pick up some minutes before the end of the season, putting him in World Cup contention. Yesterday Bild posted this picture of Chandler training with the ball, aside from the rest of the team:
  • Nottingham Forest’s Eric Lichaj is “getting closer” to returning, according to Forest’s new temporary manager Gary Brazil. Lichaj underwent double hernia surgery in late March and is also aiming to play before the end of the season. That said, due to inactivity his World Cups seem pretty grim.

  • Oguchi Onyewu made his return from his rib muscle injury, going the distance in Sheffield Wednesday’s 3-3 draw with Blackburn Rovers. The Owls next face Bournemouth away on Friday.

  • Stoke City’s Geoff Cameron shook off his lower body injury to play the full 90 minutes of the Potters’ 1-0 win against Newcastle United. In the 61st minute Cameron almost helped double Stoke’s lead when he swung in a cross that Peter Crouch dove to put his head on, but Newcastle keeper Tim Krul pushed the effort wide.

  • There’s no huge change from last week as far as Stuart Holden’s rehabilitation, but he did receive a glowing endorsement from a Bolton Wanderers legend. John McGinlay, a retired Scottish international striker who scored the last two goals at Bolton’s now-demolished stadium, Burnden Park, had this to say to the Bolton News on Saturday: “Stuart has got to be one of the best players we have had in the last few years. Not only is he a great player but the club means a lot to him. He epitomizes everything you want at a football club with his spirit, desire, and skill. I think everyone just has their fingers crossed he can get back for good this time.”

    Nick Kariuki writes his ASN Injury Report every week. Follow him on Twitter.
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