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ASN Injury Report

Walking Wounded: Many Americans on the Mend

With players returning to action in Germany, Scandinavia, and North America, the ASN Injury Report is a bit longer than usual. Here's the latest intel from Nick Kariuki.
BY Nick Kariuki Posted
February 05, 2014
3:58 PM
  • After a few days isolated in his room with the flu, Josh Gatt was able to attend training on Thursday for Molde’s preseason tour in Spain. The club’s website is targeting his return for March 28, when the club kick’s off the Norwegian season against Valarenga.

  • At Bolton Wanderers, Tim Ream’s broken nose didn’t stop him from playing in the team’s Saturday clash away at Ipswich Town. Ream lined up left back and wore a protective mask as the Trotters lost 1-0. Ream was lively in both attack and defense, providing the cross for one of Bolton’s better chances and crucially blocking goal-bound shots. With four losses and two draws, Bolton’s league form has been particularly poor since December 29, and the team will to change that when it hosts Bournemouth this Saturday.

  • After forcing an own goal and later scoring himself, AZ Alkmaar's Aron Johannsson had to be subbed off against Vitesse yesterday. Yank's Abroad reported that the injury is a non-serious thigh strain, though Johannsson is not guaranteed to start this Saturday's away game against Go Ahead Eagles.

  • While “guest” training with the U.S. national team, Stuart Holden told the press that he is hoping to return to Bolton’s reserve team by late February. Manager Dougie Freedman was more cautious when discussing Holden’s return, saying: "If that's coming from Stuart that's typical of Stuart. I like it, that he's always like that—pushing to get there. But we've got to really respect what the doctors say on this one and I'm not a doctor so I couldn't say if it's 'Yes' or 'No.'” Once Holden returns to Bolton, he faces two weeks of rehab and assessment of his physical conditioning.

  • In a heated derby match that saw three red cards, Oguchi Onyewu injured his calf in the final minutes of Sheffield Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Barnsley. Onyewu has slotted into the Starting XI since joining the team on January 11, playing four games and scoring one goal.

  • Jonathan Spector remains out of the Birmingham City team with a thigh injury, with no update to his expected late February/early March return.

  • Yesterday Seb Hines played a full game for Middlesbrough’s reserve side as the team lost 2-1 to Stoke’s reserves. Hines’ proposed January loan move to Birmingham City fell through and he remained on the bench for the first team’s Saturday 0-0 draw against Doncaster Rovers. Manager Aitor Karanka hasn’t played Hines in the first team yet, but had this to say: “Seb Hines is not playing at this moment but I have confidence in him. He trains well every day and has experience.”

  • Eric Lichaj was left out of the Nottingham Forest squad that beat Yeovil Town 3-1 on Sunday due to an unspecified injury. The defender played the full 90 minutes in the Watford match two days earlier and, according to the club’s website, is likely to return for today’s FA Cup replay against Preston North End.

  • Joe Corona was back in training last week but did not make the bench for Club Tijuana’s Sunday match at Pumas UNAM. Xolos lost 3-0 and will host Monterrey this Friday.

  • At Hertha Berlin, John Brooks remained sidelined with a knee injury as his side lost 3-1 to FC Nürnberg. The loss drops Hertha to eighth in the Bundesliga. The team will hope tobounce back against an out-of-form Hamburg this Saturday.

  • Hoffenheim’s Fabian Johnson was declared fit for the match-day squad but did not come off the bench as the German side defeated Hamburg 3-0 on Saturday. Johnson’s next chance will come this coming Saturday against SC Freiburg.

  • Steve Cherundolo was unable to make Hannover’s 3-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach because of his “persistent knee problems.” Bild reported yesterday that Cherundolo played a major role in the signing of new right back Frantisek Rajtoral. Worried that he can no longer lead effectively or be a reliable player, Cherundolo asked Die Rotten coach Dirk Dufner to find a replacement for him a couple of days before the January transfer window closed.

  • Chicago Fire striker and reigning MLS MVP Mike Magee missed out on the chance to earn his first U.S. cap when he came down with food poisoning before the U.S. national team's 2-0 win over South Korea on Saturday.

  • The MLS preseason has kicked into gear, and Chris Pontius spoke with MLS Soccer yesterday about his recovery form surgery on his left hamstring and sciatic nerve. The D.C. United attacker feels that he is getting better and stated that he has started sprint work. D.C. face Toronto in a preseason friendly tomorrow.

  • George John was not a part of the FC Dallas squad that travelled to Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning, and will instead remain in Frisco, Texas, for his rehab. Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja told the Dallas News this: “He’s still having some issues in his pelvis and something is affecting him because of his compensation and other things.” John should be ready to rejoin the squad when it travels to Bradenton, Florida, for a series of friendlies in mid-February.

  • Teammate Zach Lloyd was also kept in Frisco to treat a pelvis injury that he carried over from last season.

  • Wednesday saw the first preseason sessions for the Colorado Rapids. The club’s website reported that MLS Rookie of the Year Dillon Powers did not take part because of ongoing tendonitis on his knees from last season. Power was also still not cleared from the concussion that he also suffered last year.

  • Will Bruin played two 46-minutes spells in the Houston Dynamo’s preseason scrimmages against the Dynamo Academy team on Wednesday and the Rapids on Sunday. This is a good sign that his left foot injury that kept him out of the Conference final second leg is on the mend.

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