ASN Injury Report
Pontius Returns, Cameron Shelved, Magee Is Done
As MLS approaches its homestretch and the European leagues hit their stride, we're pleased to report that Nick Kariuki's weekly ASN Injury Report is back and feeling as spry as ever.
BY
Nick Kariuki
Posted
September 12, 2014
10:01 AM
Geoff Cameron underwent a hernia operation on Wednesday. The right back has been sidelined since the Potters’ Capital One Cup win against Portsmouth on Aug. 27. Assistant manager Mark Bowen said that Cameron has been struggling with the injury since the previous season and carried it into the World Cup. “It’s difficult to say how long we will lose him for,” he said. Cameron sent out this Tweet after the surgery:
Terence Boyd remains on the treatment table at his new club Red Bull Leipzig after partially tearing the ACL ligament in his right knee in a preseason friendly in late July. Boyd did not require surgery and should make his competitive debut for the club in early October.
At Reading, Danny Williams remains out of the squad recovering from the knee issues that ruled him out of World Cup contention. The Royals have started the season struggling with injuries, with 11 players on the physio’s bench during the international break.
Chicago Fire forward Mike Magee will be out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his right hip at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., on Monday. “It’s unfortunate that Mike will be out for an extended period, but he’s been struggling this season with the injuries,” said coach Frank Yallop. “After consulting with our medical staff, we decided that this was the best time for Mike to have the procedure.” The reigning league MVP is expected back in six to eight months.
D.C. United’s Chris Rolfe fractured his left forearm in training last week. As a result, the winger missed the team’s last two games, a scoreless draw with Montreal on Saturday and a 1-0 loss to New York on Wednesday. Rolfe had surgery Sept. 4, and, based on the last week’s estimate, should be out for five more weeks.
Teammate Eddie Johnson has also missed the past two games after picking up a concussion in training last week. D.C. will next travel to Kingston, Jamaica, to play Waterhouse FC in a Champions League fixture on Tuesday.
Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall underwent a procedure to repair the torn ACL in his right knee on Friday. Hall picked up the injury in the Dynamo’s 3-1 loss to Sporting KC on Aug. 29 and will miss the rest of the season.
Forward Will Bruin was another casualty in the SKC match, subbing out after 40 minutes with a mid-foot sprain. Bruin did not make the squad for Saturday’s 3-2 win against Montreal.
Chivas USA defender Carlos Bocanegra’s time missed recovering from a concussion reached eight league games after Sunday’s 3-0 loss to the Crew on Sunday. On Thursday the veteran defender and former national team captain announced his retirement at the end of this season.
Clarence Goodson’s niggling toe injury has seen him miss the San Jose Earthquakes’ last 10 league games. At last report, the center back’s expected return should be in the first week of October.
Colorado Rapids defender Shane O’Neill is set to return ahead of schedule from the sprained MCL in his right knee, MLSsoccer.com announced on Wednesday. The defender has missed the Rapids last nine games, but now could even feature this Saturday against the Portland Timbers. “My knee feels pretty good; close to 100 percent, actually,” said O’Neill on Tuesday. “I feel a little bit rusty, obviously, after being out for a while, but I feel good.”
Matt Besler played the full 90 minutes of Sporting KC’s 2-1 loss on Saturday with a soft cast protecting his left hand after breaking a bone in the previous game against New England. The Kansas City Star reported on Tuesday that the 27-year-old has upgraded to a hard cast, which he will play with for the next six to eight weeks.
Recent signing DaMarcus Beasley returned from a hamstring injury to play the full 90 minutes of Houston’s victory over Montreal. The injury had kept him out for the previous two games. The Dynamo next host the Columbus Crew this Saturday.
Finally, D.C. United Chris Pontius came on in the 82nd minute of Wednesday’s 1-0 loss. Left hamstring and sciatic nerve surgery in November and an additional procedure to remove scar tissue in April had kept the winger recovering for the entire year. With Rolfe’s arm in a cast, Pontius’ return to the squad couldn’t have come at a better time for the side. Pontius tweeted this after the game:
Nick Kariuki writes the ASN Injury Report. Follow him on Twitter.
