Seattle Sounders star Clint Dempsey is still on the mend with a nagging hamstring injury, and will not join the team for its tough road match against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday (10 pm ET, NBCSN).
The SeattleTimes reporter Joshua Mayers tweeted out the news on Friday from the team’s training.
Dempsey has not played since he was used as a second-half substitute in the Sounders’ 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Sept. 13. He sustained the hamstring injury the following week during training and was forced to miss the team’s ensuing draws against the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls late last month.
“He’s making progress,” Schmid said after Friday’s practice, according to a report by Mayers, "he’s getting better, but for him to travel at this stage is probably still a little early."
The Sounders are currently tied on points with Real Salt Lake for the top seed in the Western Conference with two games in hand, and also have two games on hand on the New York Red Bulls, who lead both Seattle and RSL by a point for the Supporters' Shield.
Friday’s news also leaves Dempsey highly unlikely to be called in for the US national team’s two World Cup qualifying matches later this month.
USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said earlier this week that he expected Demspey to play against Colorado and then be called in for matches against Jamaica and Panama, but with Dempsey unable to travel to Denver it appears he’ll miss the final two matches of the Hexagonal.
U.S. Soccer is expected to announce its 23-man roster for the upcoming matches on Sunday.
