Houston Dynamo defender Corey Ashe is ahead of schedule following surgery last month on his left knee, and he said this week he expects to be ready for the club’s season opener against D.C. United on March 2.
In fact, Ashe has his eyes on a potential return during the team’s trip to South Carolina next week in the Carolina Challenge Cup, running Feb. 16-23.
“I should be ready,” Ashe said of the season opener. “Right now the main focus is getting into practice and to get at least two games in while in Charleston. We’ll see. I’m pretty confident that I’ll be available March 2.”
Ashe was initially expected to miss up to six weeks after the surgery, which would have left him out of the season opener against D.C.
“I think Corey’s getting better day by day,” head coach Dominic Kinnear said. “If he’s targeting South Carolina, if that’s the target for him and he feels he can reach that, that’s great for us. He had a great season last year, we all know that, and he’s an important player for us.”
Ashe started 30 games last season for the Dynamo and has appeared in at least 22 games each of his six seasons in the league.
Kinnear also said this week that striker Omar Cummings, who came over from the Colorado Rapids via trade in December, is questionable to make the trip to South Carolina after undergoing knee surgery last month. The Dynamo open the tournament on Feb. 16 against the Chicago Fire and will also play the Vancouver Whitecaps and host club Charleston Battery in the tournament.
