FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - New England Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston will return to the lineup for his squad's match Saturday against the Kansas City Wizards at Gillette Stadium.
The midfielder has not featured for Steve Nicol's side since returning from duty with the United States at the CONCACAF Gold Cup because of a concussion suffered in that tournament.
Having shaken off the effects of lingering symptoms, Ralston will reprise his familiar right midfield role.
Clint Dempsey returns to the side after a three-day sojourn to Texas to visit family. The Revs star flew out after the All-Star Game to spend time with family and friends while recuperating from a hectic July.
Pat Noonan will not feature this weekend. Decked out in team gear and flip-flops at Friday's training session, Noonan did not practice.
"Noonan is not fit," said Revs head coach Steve Nicol.
New signing Daniel Hernandez is ineligible due to FIFA transfer regulations despite inking a 1 1/2-year deal on Friday.
Also unavailable is defensive stalwart Jay Heaps. A yellow card in the Revolution's 1-1 draw with the Galaxy forced him to the sidelines for a one-match ban for caution point accumulation.
August should see the Revolution field a more consistent side than the eleven that switched and struggled throughout July.
"The upheaval was difficult," said Nicol. "There were lots of changes, and people were coming and going all over the place. It's nice to get settled right now."
Nicol will make multiple changes to the lineup fielded in Wednesday's 3-2 extra-time defeat to Chicago, as Dempsey, Ralston, Matt Reis and Michael Parkhurst will return to the starting XI. Ryan Latham, Doug Warren, and Gilberto Flores will drop to the bench.
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
