Looking toward Sunday’s game against the Chicago Fire, the Houston Dynamo are hoping they will have two of their key players back in the lineup.
Will Bruin and Boniek García both missed Saturday’s 2-0 loss at the Portland Timbers as Cam Weaver and Andrew Driver replaced the pair.
The two starters, who had breakout seasons in MLS play in 2012, were ruled out due to a hamstring and ankle injury respectively; both injuries suffered earlier this season.
After the club’s first training of the week, the feeling was that both are tracking toward being back in Dynamo orange come Sunday when the club looks to set the home unbeaten mark in all competitions.
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Bruin’s injury was originally suffered in week three against FC Dallas. The injury forced him out of that game early but he was able to make a quick recovery, passing a pregame fitness test to play against the Vancouver Whitecaps. After scoring his first goal of the season the following week against the San Jose Earthquakes he re-injured the hamstring late and was forced to leave the field and subsequently miss the trip to Portland.
“I don’t like missing out and I’m trying to get back as quick as I can,” Bruin told MLSsoccer.com. “It’s early in the season and I don’t want it to be nagging all year. I’d rather miss one [game] as opposed to one month.
"We’re just taking it day by day. There’s risk there with playing through it and maybe doing something worse. If it was a playoff game I would’ve played.”
Bruin worked with the trainers Tuesday and said that he is looking to the weekend to return. But there is no rush to push the injury at this point.
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"He wants to do more but we’re being cautious,” head coach Dominic Kinnear said. “And knowing it’s only Tuesday and the game’s on Sunday we want to make sure he’s ready for Sunday.”
García is in a similar position. The Honduran has logged a lot of minutes this season splitting time with Houston and his national team. In Friday's training session, an ankle injury he picked up against Santos Laguna reared its head and forced the energetic midfielder out of action.
"He just was feeling it,” Kinnear said. “You want to make sure when guys step out on the field they’re feeling fine. He trained Friday but wasn’t feeling so good so that’s the reason he didn’t play. He has an eye on Sunday too.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
