COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Despite a strange last-minute injury sustained last week during training, Colorado Rapids midfielder Nathan Sturgis expects to be back for the team’s key clash against FC Dallas at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday.
Sturgis missed the team’s 1-0 road win over the LA Galaxy last Saturday with what he thinks was a glute injury, giving a brief pause to what’s been a solid year for the journeyman midfielder.
“It felt really good today, so it should be good to go,” Sturgis told MLSsoccer.com on Tuesday. “I felt it on Wednesday of last week. It felt ok but I didn’t quite feel confident to go on it [on Saturday].”
Sturgis has established himself as a main cog in Oscar Pareja’s midfield, starting 18 straight matches before being forced out of the last weekend’s contest. The 26-year-old has a career-high four goals along with an assist in blossoming in his first year with the Rapids.
Pareja said on Tuesday that he plans on further evaluating Sturgis on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, fellow midfielder Vicente Sanchez, who supplied the assist on Edson Buddle’s game-winning second half goal against the Galaxy, was also at practice on Tuesday after limping off late in Saturday’s win and appears to be OK as well.
“Vicente’s good,” Pareja said of Sanchez, who hobbled to the bench late against the Galaxy. “He knows his body well and we try to keep him fresh and healthy. Today was a day he pushed.”
Defender German Mera (knee) also returned to practice on Tuesday.
Chris Bianchi covers the Colorado Rapids for MLSsoccer.com.
