IT WAS A LACKLUSTER WEEKEND for most American players abroad as many are either still dealing with injuries or are struggling to get minutes. It's the slowest period I can recall in more than a decade but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some important storylines.

Fabian Johnson continues strong form

Jurgen Klinsmann, as you no doubt know by now, was unhappy that Fabian Johnson asked to be removed from the CONCACAF Cup final in extra time due to tightness in his leg.

Did Johnson feel that his body was about to give and that he would have suffered a severe injury if he continued? Did he believe he was injured? It is impossible to know right now as Johnson is yet to speak on the matter.

What is undoubtedly true is that Johnson has been playing terrific soccer in Borussia Monchenglabach’s midfield since the incident. In his first game back he went a full 90 in a 5-1 away rout over Eintracht Frankfurt. He followed that up with a solid showing in scoreless draw on the road against Juventus in the Champions League. On Sunday, he looked good once again in a 3-1 win over Schalke where he played from start to finish.

As the November World Cup qualifiers draw closer, the situation with Johnson will be worth following closely. Johnson is the only American player in the Champions League right now and he is playing at a very, very high level.

Will Johnson be an outcast with the national team or will he make a quick return? No one knows right now. But he seems to be the last player the team would want to be without right now.

Geoff Cameron suffers a quad injury

Stoke City’s Geoff Cameron was forced out of Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Watford in the 9th minute with a strained quad. One source told ASN that Cameron was expected to miss around 10 days of action according to the initial diagnosis.

Cameron has been playing well for Stoke City and he was one of the few American players who acquitted himself well during the last international series of games for the U.S. natuonal team. It's possible he could be back in time for the first World Cup qualifiers in November but it could be a close call.

Yedlin goes 90 in Sunderland Win

The best news of the weekend came from DeAndre Yedlin who started and went a full 90 for Sunderland in a 3-0 win over Newcastle. The win was the first of the season for Sunderland and it no doubt impressed new coach Sam Allardyce.

Yedlin was steady rather than flashy, opting not to move into the attack as often as he usually does. But he played a smart game andly picked his opportunities to move forward. Defensively, he did everything that was asked of him. The best news is that Allardyce is going to be unlikely to change a winning equation—one which includes Yedlin.

In other Premier League news, Tim Howard and Brad Guzan both found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreline as Everton and Aston Villa both fell.

Bornstein wins in Azteca

Of all the Americans playing abroad, Jonathan Bornstein enjoyed the best result of the weekend. He played a full 90 for Queretaro in its  impressive 1-0 win over a powerful Club America team.

The win moved Queretaro into 10th place in Liga MX where it is trying to make a push to qualify for the playoffs. Bornstein, meanwhile, has prospered in 2015. He scored a huge goal in the spring to give Queretaro a spot in the final. Now he is a part of the club’s playoff push again in the Apertura.

His career rebound has been one of the best surprise stories this year for Americans abroad.

Youngsters continue to earn minutes

Jordan Siebatcheu, 19, came off the bench and played 32 minutes for Stade de Reims in its 1-0 loss to Monaco. Reims played with 10 men for most of the second half and has now lost three in a row. Siebatcheu nearly scored an equalizer for the hosts.

Ethan Horvath started in goal for Molde which defeated Aalesund 2-1 on the road. Molde has now won three straight in the Tippeligaen.

Gedion Zelalem also returned to the field for Glasgow Rangers over the weekend, playing 61 minutes in a 1-0 win over St. Mirren. The club is on cruise control right now and is coasting toward promotion to the Scottish Premier League. Through 11 games, Rangers has a perfect 33 points and a +28 goal differential.

The news is even better for Zelalem because while his loan is set to expire in January, Rangers management hopes to keep Zelalem for the entire season

Second-tier setbacks

For many American players currently in second-tier leagues, it was a weekend to forget.

In the 2.Bundesliga, Andrew Wooten remained scoreless in six games as Sandhausen played to a scoreless draw with Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday. Bobby Wood also was held scoreless as Union Berlin lost to Paderborn 2-0.

The best news in the 2.Bundesliga came from Shawn Barry who played a full 90 for FSV Frankfurt in a 3-2 win over Bochum. FSV trailed 2-0 but rallied for an impressive win.

In the Championship, Danny Williams and Reading lost to Tim Ream and Fulham, 4-2.

Jonathan Spector meanwhile was part of Birmingham City’s disappointing 2-0 loss to Hull while Eric Lichaj and Nottingham Forest haven’t won in six league games following a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town on Saturday.

Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.