CHESTER, Pa. – When it comes to Sebastien Le Toux, three letters Philadelphia Union fans don’t want to hear together are M-R-I.
At a press conference at PPL Park on Wednesday afternoon, the Union’s star striker said he had an MRI done two days prior on his left ankle, which he initially sprained in an exhibition game against the USL Professional Division club Orlando City S.C. on Feb. 19, shortly before the Union culminated their first leg of training in Florida.
Le Toux then rolled the same ankle again during the team’s next phase of training in Greece.
But thankfully for the Union faithful, the Frenchman's injury is nothing to be concerned about. The forward feels 100 percent heading into the team’s season opener Saturday night in Houston.
“I’m great and I’m ready to play,” Le Toux said. “It’s an old story now.”
A team official said Le Toux didn’t play in either of the team’s exhibition matches in Greece, but that was because the player was dealing with a stomach virus. He’s been training with the club all week as usual and the MRI was simply a precautionary measure.
“It’s much better for me,” Le Toux said. “I’ll be ready for a full 90 minutes.”
The Union, of course, need Le Toux at his best as they begin their sophomore season in MLS. Last year, the Frenchman was the team’s star attraction, logging 14 goals and 11 assists and representing Philadelphia in the MLS All-Star Game.
Repeating that kind of season will be difficult, however, as other teams will likely gear much of their attention toward him.
“Obviously, we all know what kind of season he had last year,” said Danny Mwanga, Le Toux’s partner-in-crime for much of the 2010 campaign. “He’s the first guy that’s going to tell you this year will be a lot tougher because people know what kind of player he is.
“At the same time, just watching him putting 100 percent effort in every practice gives the rest of the team motivation to work even harder.”
