The Houston Dynamo are expected to be without forward Cam Weaver for the rest of the season due to hip surgery slated for Thursday. Weaver has been playing through the injury since the middle of the season. The 6-foot-4 forward took cortisone shot to relieve the pain in late May, but the injury has gotten to a point where he can no longer play through it.
“I’ve said in a couple of our post-game press conferences that we’ve had some guys playing hurt, and he’s been one of them,” head coach Dominic Kinnear told MLSsoccer.com by phone Monday. “He’s had it for a while … It’s gotten to the point now that it’s bugging him too much.”
The injury is expected to end what has been Weaver’s most productive season in MLS. The three-year MLS veteran set career highs in games played (28), starts (16), and goals (4). The big forward was instrumental early in the season, carrying the load while Brian Ching battled injuries.
Weaver’s biggest goal was his equalizer as a second-half sub for Ching in a 1-1 away draw in Week 3 against the New York Red Bulls – who currently sit three points behind the Dynamo for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
“We’re a team that likes to put balls in the box, especially on set pieces, and Cam’s taken advantage of that by attacking the ball in the box,” Kinnear said. “It’s unfortunate that this injury takes him out of contention for the rest of the year. I give him credit; he’s played hurt a lot this year. He’s just frustrated. It’s not just games, but at training every day where the guys are not playing 100 percent. That affects him, and I feel bad for him.”
In other injury news, defender Corey Ashe was held out of Monday’s training as a precautionary measure. Ashe took a shot to the head during the first half of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire. Ashe left the game at the half for precautionary reasons and is awaiting clearance to return to full training.
Alex Dixon, who was sidelined with a fractured finger, made an appearance Saturday night in a 3-0 reserve win over the Chicago Fire. The Dynamo Academy product played the second half in his first action since suffering the injury in a reserve loss against the Colorado Rapids September 1.
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com. Follow him on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.
