KENNESAW, Ga. – New England Revolution defender Didier Domi (above) returned to the Boston area on Thursday night to receive further treatment on a swollen right knee.
Domi started at left back and played 77 minutes in Wednesday's 3-1 defeat to Columbus in the opening match of the Atlanta Pro Soccer Challenge, but the continued swelling in his knee prompted the Revs to send him home before Sunday's friendly against Houston.
“It's kind of a strange one,” Revolution coach Steve Nicol told MLSsoccer.com on Friday morning. “It's not like he's in pain or anything like that. He's just a got a bit of swelling, so we've sent him home to get a look at it and make sure he's ready for LA. He'll be fine.”
Although Domi departed for Massachusetts with a member of the club's medical staff to tend to the issue, Nicol said he plans to have the Frenchman in his squad for the trip to Los Angeles next weekend.
[inline_node:330384]“We expect him to be fit and ready for the opening game,” Nicol said.
Nicol holds no such optimism regarding Ousmane Dabo's availability for the season opener. Dabo (at right) suffered a right quadriceps strain during a training session on March 1 and has spent the entire excursion to Georgia watching from the sidelines.
While Dabo is progressing in his attempts to recover from the knock, Nicol said he will not be ready to play against the Galaxy. Although Dabo will have to wait to make his Revolution debut, the former Manchester City and Lazio midfielder should be available fairly quickly once he overcomes his current plight, according to Nicol.
“It's not a case that he needs too much fitness,” Nicol said. “Once we get him ready, he's good to go. As I've said before, he's not going to be chasing people for 90 minutes. He's there to pass the ball and play football. As far as fitness is concerned, it shouldn't be a real issue.”
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