Two months into the season, the injuries are starting to stack up on Real Salt Lake in a rapid fashion. While any MLS team can expect some wear and tear during the course of a season, what RSL is experiencing is testing the limits of its depth.
Going into Saturday's rematch against FC Dallas, the RSL side has a total of four players either sidelined or looking questionable for the match because of various ailments.
Yura Movsisyan looks to be out for several weeks after meniscus surgery on his right knee. Nate Sturgis has already been sidelined a month as a result of a hamstring strain. Javier Morales, who missed last week's 2-0 loss to Colorado, might sit out again against the Hoops while he continues to battle an abductor strain.
There are others who may play, but are less than 100 percent. Ian Joy has been sidelined with ankle bone spurs in recent weeks. Chris Wingert is battling a gluteus strain. And Fabian Espindola is dealing with an ankle contusion.
Dealing with a steady accumulation of injuries has been frustrating for RSL coach Jason Kreis. But, at the same time, he sees it as a opportunity for other players who have been buried deep in the roster to come out and make their mark.
"We've seen contributions from a lot of players this year for us," Kreis said. "If you added up the total number of guys that have had minutes for our team this year, it would be fairly high. That will end up being a good thing in the long run."
It's been a good thing in the short run too. Increased minutes have helped players like Tony Beltran and Kenny Cutler make themselves more of a fixture in the RSL rotation.
Before departing to compete with the U.S. under-23 national team this week, Beltran had made a good enough impression in three starts to merit consideration as a permanent starter even when the team is at full strength. And Cutler -- one of only three players left from RSL's inaugural season -- has showed plenty of veteran savvy and poise while plugging holes in the midfield.
Because of that, Joy thinks becoming injury-free offers no guarantees of getting the same sort of playing time he enjoyed before.
"It's always good to have competition in a team," Joy said. "It's the way it should be. Everybody should have a competition for their place and the people who are training the best and performing the best should play."
One reason for all the injuries showing up now is something as simple as the grind of the schedule wearing on the club. The loss to the Rapids closed a 20-day stretch where Real played seven games. And starting with Dallas on Saturday, RSL will endure three games in seven days.
Coupled with a longer preseason than some of the club's international acquisitions were used to experiencing, it has been a perfect recipe for fatigue and injury.
"It's been nonstop for two months and it's hard on you," Joy said. "It's hard on your body and it's hard on your legs."
Getting back to playing shape after an injury has been the most frustrating thing of all.
Joy had to shut himself down for a couple of weeks after the bone spurs kept getting worse and did not start training full-time again until Monday. For Sturgis, his desire to get going has been hampered by minimal improvement on the hamstring.
He tried to rejoin the training sessions on Monday, like Joy did, but had to pull himself out after the first drill. This is the first hamstring injury in Sturgis' career and fighting through it has been an exercise in frustration at times.
"The hardest part is knowing when to come back," Sturgis said. "If you come back too early, then you re-injure your injury. The hardest part is just finding the right time to come back and work your way back in."
John Coon is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
