ASN Injury Report
Cherundolo, Spector, Bruin Are All Pushing for Fitness
American Soccer Now's Nick Kariuki scours the globe looking for injury news and updates on ailing and recuperating American players. Here is his latest report.
BY
Nick Kariuki
Posted
November 22, 2013
11:30 AM
The U.S. national team was dealt a double blow when captain Clint Dempsey and Hoffenheim’s Fabian Johnson withdrew from the squad last week. Dempsey strained his right calf during training on Wednesday, while Johnson’s lingering right ankle injury also ruled him out. They joined Landon Donovan, Brad Guzan, Edgar Castillo, and Clarence Goodson on the list of players Jurgen Klinsman had to leave out though injury. The coach chose not to replace the pair for the 0-0 draw against Scotland or the 1-0 loss to Austria.
The international break meant that most club football was put on hold for the week. Some players were still able to get in some game action during the break. On Thursday Hannover captain Steve Cherundolo managed to play his first 45 minutes of football this season before he was subbed off in a friendly match against Bundesliga II side St. Pauli. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.Talking about his recovery in an interview with ESPN FC, Cherundolo said, “I see it as challenge, one I am very close to overcoming. There were times when my knee wasn’t getting any better and neither the doctors nor I had any idea or way of going about the future. Now the only thing left is sharpening my skills again and getting match fitness."
Paul Arriola also clocked some time for Tijuana’s U-20 side in a match against Chiapas FC. He provided the assist for the first goal 30 minutes into the game, which the Xolos won 2-1. This was his second straight game providing an assist. On the downside, the 18-year-old came off in the 66th minute with what looked like a hamstring pull.
Danny Williams should make his return to Reading’s side against Blackburn Rovers this coming Saturday.
According to the Northern Echo, Seb Hines is being assessed for a hamstring problem he picked up against Watford. He'll be eager to impress new Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka against Leeds United on Saturday.
Jonathan Spector is running in practice again and should be available for Birmingham City’s November 30 away game at Barnsley, Manager Lee Clark told the Birmingham Mail on November 13. Clark had this to say: “It will be a big boost because he was playing really well before he went out of the team, in whatever position I was using him in, whether it was right back, one of the three center backs, or midfield.”
Houston Dynamo pair Ricardo Clark and Will Bruin are racing back to match fitness before the second leg of their conference final against Sporting Kansas City this Saturday. While they were absent from training last Wednesday, head coach Dominic Kinnear said they were working with staff and the plan for the interval is “going through this as if they’re going to play.”
Colorado Rapid’s midfielder Dillon Powers described his recovery from concussion symptoms at the end of the season as “almost there, just not quite there, but I’m feeling a lot better." Powers also explained that his visit to the hospital on November 12 was to receive a routine platelet-rich-plasma injection to treat minor quad tension issues and some tendonitis in his right knee.
According to Empire of Soccer, Heath Pearce was expected to return to New York Red Bulls Wednesday for an end-of-the-year physical and meeting to discuss his future with the club. Pearce is set to return to full fitness for the MLS preseason, and said this: “I have until the last week of January when preseason starts to really be firing.”
Howard C. Smith/isiphotos.com
