Kansas City Wizards captain and center midfielder Diego Gutierrez missed Saturday's contest against Real Salt Lake due to a rib injury on his left side.
At training earlier in the week, Gutierrez had fears the rib might have been cracked.
"I have a deep rib bruise, possibly a little crack. I'm going to see a doctor today. It's been bothering me for a few weeks now," he said.
"It happened about a month ago, and it just keeps getting worse and worse. It's something we want to address right now and not let it go any further."
The physician's examination and subsequent test were negative for a crack or fracture, the diagnosis being a left rib contusion.
As a result, the 32-year-old Colombia native trained at full speed Friday and was cleared to play but was likely held out to give more time for healing. A coming midweek rematch against D.C. United was probably also a factor in the decision.
The Wizards have made adjustments to their lineup a matter of habit due to a few nagging injuries, national team call-ups, and tactical or inspirational formation changes throughout the season.
Against Real on Saturday, coach Bob Gansler returned to a 4-4-2 formation after employing a 3-5-2 against D.C. United in a 1-0 victory the previous week. Kerry Zavagnin and Sasha Victorine manned the center of midfield while Preki was inserted up front alongside rookie Scott Sealy as Davy Arnaud was pushed back to a wide midfield role and Brian Roberts was given his first start at right back.
Robert Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
