FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Revolution will likely be without the services of two key players when the season opens against the Chicago Fire in three weeks time.
New England has lost striker Pat Noonan after he underwent sports hernia surgery on his left groin on Wednesday in Munich, Germany.
Noonan picked up the injury while training with the Revolution in Cancun, Mexico in preparation for the upcoming campaign.
The U.S. international is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks, according to the team, placing his chances for the season opener in Chicago on April 7 in serious doubt.
"I think that's a push," Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said about Noonan's prospects for the opener. "I'm not counting him out or in at this point.
"Pat's injury is a little weird," Nicol said. "Within 10 days, he is running again."
This is the second hernia surgery for Noonan in the past six months. He underwent a similar procedure on his right groin with the same doctor (Dr. Ulrike Muschaweck) in Munich on Oct. 6, 2006. He returned to the lineup 22 days later to play in the second leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal against Chicago, scoring the series-tying goal in the 58th minute.
The prognosis is murkier for center back Michael Parkhurst. While enjoying the surf in Cancun, Parkhurst was hit by a wave and separated his left shoulder.
"Park's injury was such a fluke," Nicol said. "He was just standing in the water and he got knocked over."
Parkhurst separated the same shoulder while in college and is waiting for an opinion from a specialist currently vacationing in China before the team proceeds with any course of medical action.
Nicol ruled him out of the first game of the season against Chicago, saying that even if the expert had been around to render an opinion, "he wouldn't have been playing [in Chicago] anyways."
The injuries leave two massive holes for Nicol to fill prior to the season. U.S. under-23 international Adam Cristman has partnered Taylor Twellman up front in Noonan's absence, while James Riley has been preferred at center back with Daniel Hernandez also sidelined with a groin injury.
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
