ORLANDO, Fla.—“If it was a playoff game, he would be playing. We just won’t take any risks this early in the season.”
Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath neatly summed up the status of star midfielder Kaká on Friday, as the team prepares for Saturday’s return trip to New England with the their Designated Player missing his fifth game of the year.
Kaká was officially ruled out just before the team’s Friday flight as City bid to improve on their 2-2 home draw with the Revolution two weeks ago.
That the Brazilian missed the first three games this term with a thigh injury, plus last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at New York Red Bulls with a groin strain, has raised the specter of a major injury worry for the Lions.
However, Heath insists there is no cause for concern with the player who has two goals and two assists from his three starts to date in 2016. The team is taking a softly-softly approach to managing the fitness of their key man.
“We have erred on the side of caution so far this season,” Heath said. “It is a huge disappointment when he is not on the field, but we still have six months to go and we’re just trying to ease him through.
“We don’t want to push him and risk him being out for four or five weeks. He will be a big part for us this year and we don’t want him playing at the moment if he is not 100 percent.”
Orlando are not taking any training precautions with Kaká, and he continues to be with the team on a daily basis, allaying fears of needing special treatment just a week past his 34th birthday. The Lions are in the process of grooming a ready-made replacement, though, as recent signing Julio Baptista is increasingly slipping into his fellow countryman’s role as the ‘false 10’ in support of Cyle Larin.
“Ricky [Kaká] has always had his own fitness program,” Heath said. “His regime is dictated by his fitness guy, and it has been that way for years. He trains with the team and then he does his extra stuff.
“The irony is he has come back for this season more fit and motivated than before and just had a couple of niggles. But, in real terms, I think he will be available for the same amount of games he played last year.”
